


Rejection: A Double-Edged Sword

by brooklynvtc



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Eventual Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Famous Harry, Harry Potter is a Horcrux, Harry is More Romantic than in Cannon, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Hot Ginny, Jealous Harry, Jealousy, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Rejection, Romance, Romantic Harry Potter, Secret Crush, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Teen Angst, Teen Crush, Teen Romance, Transformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-08-25 04:06:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 56
Words: 262,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16653964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooklynvtc/pseuds/brooklynvtc
Summary: In Harry's fifth year, Ginny decides to take a chance and tell Harry how she feels but gets rejected by Harry because of his crush on Cho. What happens when Ginny goes through puberty and becomes gorgeous over the following summer?*Slow-Burn Romance*





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

 

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Summary: In Harry's fifth year, Ginny decides to take a chance and tell Harry how she feels, but gets rejected by Harry because of his crush on Cho. What happens when Ginny goes through puberty and becomes gorgeous over the following summer?

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Chapter One

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They were in the Room of Requirement, having just completed another D.A. meeting. Harry had taught them so many useful spells and techniques that they would be able to practice on their own in their dorms before their next meeting – the last meeting before the end of the semester and the beginning of the Christmas holiday.

Everyone was now lingering, socializing amongst themselves without worry of any looming Inquisitorial Squad members or Umbridge, herself. But the crowd was starting to dwindle with curfew approaching and every D.A. member was starting to pack up any belongings that they had brought with them.

Ginny was in no such hurry to leave, busy as her mind was, as she was occupied with watching Harry. He was standing with Ron and Hermione, of course. He was always standing with them. They weren't called the  _Golden Trio_  for nothing…

But as Hermione talked both Harry and her brother's ears off, Ginny noticed that Harry seemed rather distracted. He was still listening to Hermione, as he would nod and Ginny noticed that his lips moved in response to whatever she was saying. But his eyes were distinctly trained on something across the room from him.

Ginny followed his line of sight and realized that it was not  _something_  that was occupying Harry's attention, but a  _someone_.

_Cho Chang_ …

Against her will, Ginny felt intense dislike for the older girl flare in the bottom of her abdomen. She really didn't want to dislike the beautiful, Asian girl – in fact, a part of her felt sorry for her after everything that happened with Cedric – but her automatic distaste for her was involuntary. Stemming from jealousy, mostly.

Selfishly, she wished that Cedric was still alive just so Cho would be unavailable… but she stopped that line of thinking instantly, knowing how horrible it was.

Ginny instead took the time to study Cho. She was indeed very pretty, she had to admit. With her feminine curves, her alluring, almond-shaped eyes, and her sleek, raven hair.

Ginny snuck a peak down at her own body. She was still flat-chested, and short, with no curves to her body. If she looked into a mirror, she knew that she would see a chubby face reflected back at her, her baby fat making her cheeks still as pinchable as when she was ten…

_"Little Ginny Weasley…"_ Ginny muttered sourly to herself, _"The baby sister to 'insert older brother here'."_

Was it really too much to ask that people would notice her for  _her_ , and not for being related to any of her older brothers?

Especially Ron, best mate to Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived. Would she forever be known as his baby sister?

With a sigh, she turned her gaze back to the Golden Trio, longing in her gaze. How many times had she wished to be included in their little group? To go along with their adventures and create a name for herself?

As she watched the trio talk amongst themselves, Hermione suddenly blew up at Ron, looking extremely put-out with him. Ron, of course, retaliated, as Ginny knew that he didn't much like being told off.

"Well, for your information,  _Ronald,_ I was only trying to come up with a practical dissection of how the lesson went! If you have a problem with trying to improve ourselves, then why do we even have the D.A. at all?" Hermione spouted, her hands thrown in the air with her frustration.

Ron's face scrunched together with his own annoyance. "Lay off it, Hermione. All that I suggested is that we stop talking about it, for now, so we can relax."

Truly exasperated now, Hermione stepped forward and pointed a finger in Ron's face. "We can relax once You-Know-Who is no longer a problem."

With that she turned on her heel and strode away, leaving Ron looking completely gobsmacked behind her.

Hermione angrily marched over towards Ginny and sat roughly beside her. Ginny gave her a sympathetic shake of her head.

"My brother is a prat, isn't he?" Ginny said, with a pat on the other girl's knee.

Hermione gave Ginny a scandalized look. _"Ginny!"_

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, Hermione. It may not be polite to say, but it doesn't make it any less true." Ginny pointed out, and despite her struggle not to, Hermione couldn't suppress the giggle at Ginny's words.

"Alright. I guess that it's true." Hermione conceded.

"And no one knows it more than I do," Ginny said, a sour look on her face, "I've only had to live with the barmy bugger for my entire life."

Hermione outright laughed at this. "You are too much, Ginny. I sometimes forget how funny you can be."

Ginny sighed, peering a look over at Harry, who was talking solely to Ron now. "If only  _other_  people knew how funny I can be…"

Hermione followed Ginny's gaze, and let out a sigh of her own. "Ginny…"

Shaking her head, Ginny forced her gaze away from Harry and instead intently stared at the floor. "I know what you're going to say, Hermione. Why would Harry ever like frumpy, little Ginny Weasley? Especially since he can have any girl he chooses in the castle. Including  _Cho_ …"

Hearing Hermione gasp, Ginny looked up to see a wildly bewildered expression on Hermione's face. "I wasn't going to say that at all, Ginny. I can't believe that you would even think that about yourself. You are a very pretty girl-"

Ginny's snort interrupted her. "Stop lying, Hermione. Compared to Cho, I have no chance in winning a beauty contest. In fact, Harry deserves someone better than me. He deserves someone like Cho."

Hermione's expression twisted into dislike. "I happen to think that he deserves someone better than Cho. All she does these days is cry over Cedric. And really, Harry knows next to nothing about her. I really don't understand his crush on her at all."

"I can give you one reason why," Ginny muttered, her tone indicating to the girl's beauty.

Hermione was suddenly very angry. "That's it, Ginny. This has gone on far too long. I've indulged your pining for long enough. It's very unhealthy, the way that you view yourself. You need to move on, one way or another. I think that you should confess your feelings to Harry. And after that, whatever he has to say, you let go of this negative outlook."

Ginny was shocked. She looked at Hermione with an incredulous expression. "What are you saying, Mione?"

With a huff, Hermione replied. "I'm saying that if Harry accepts your feelings, then that's great. You then know for a fact that you are beautiful in your own unique way. But, if Harry rejects you, know that it's his loss and you let go of your pining and work on your own happiness and self-image issues."

Hermione paused, and her face softened. "Ginny, you don't need Harry Potter to validate you as a person. Look at me, I know I'm not the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts, but I don't let that define who I am. I work at bettering myself in ways that demand respect. Something beauty alone can never achieve. Either way, I think that your hidden feelings for Harry are holding you back from achieving great things. Which is why they can't stay hidden any longer."

It was a lot to process, but the more that Ginny thought about it, the more that she realized that Hermione was right. How could she be anything more than that youngest Weasley sibling, when she didn't focus on herself being anything more than that?

People thought of her only as the youngest Weasley sibling, or the silly girl with a crush on Harry Potter, because that was the way that she thought of herself.

She needed to cut those ties in order to be the confident witch she always dreamed that she would be. And that started with one confession.

"You're right, Hermione…" She whispered. "It can't go on like this. I need to tell him. It doesn't matter what he says. I will go mad with doubt and jealousy if I continue on like this."

Nodding, Hermione took Ginny's hand in one of hers and patted it with the other, reassuringly. "I'm glad that you see it that way. I'm not saying that it won't hurt if Harry rejects you, but in the end, it will only liberate you. Because isn't it better  _knowing_  the truth than endlessly worrying over what may be?"

Ginny squeezed that hand that held hers and nodded in return. "Yeah… thanks, Mione. I-I really needed to hear this," She said, and with sad eyes, she locked gazes with the bushy-haired girl, "You really are like the sister that I never had. You know that, right?"

Hermione's response was to pull Ginny into a tight hug, and Ginny knew that she felt the same way. If nothing else, at least Ginny would always have Hermione to confide in. "I will distract Ron so you have some time with Harry."

Pulling away from Hermione's arms, Ginny took a staggering breath, trying to keep the growing panic at bay. Hermione patted her shoulder lightly and said. "Gather your Gryffindor courage, Ginny. You know that you have it in you."

With that, Hermione stood and strode with purpose towards Ron and Harry. Ginny watched as Ron snapped to attention as soon as he noticed Hermione's approach, and opened his mouth to say something that made Hermione's eyes flare.

They bantered back and forth with a few scathing words, while Harry looked on with bewildered eyes, looking for all the world that he didn't want to be there to listen to his best friends argue yet again.

Suddenly, Hermione grabbed Ron by the sleeve and roughly dragged him over to the door, Ron protesting the entire way.

Harry was suddenly alone, and Ginny noticed that he looked very relieved at that fact, as he wasn't required to listen to the bickering, nor was he dragged into the middle of it. And Ginny realized that this was the opportunity that Hermione had granted her.

Ginny stood, took a deep breath to gather her Gryffindor courage, and walked towards Harry with nothing but determination in her mind.

Harry had started to busy himself with picking up textbooks and stuffing them into his knapsack as soon as his friends left. Ginny stopped a few feet away from Harry, but he didn't seem to notice her approach. Which was really nothing new. But she was determined for that to change. Determined to be noticed one way or another. Even if it did end in Harry's blatant ignorance of her with his awareness of her fancy.

Ginny watched him for a moment before she decided to make her presence known. "You better be careful. I noticed Fred and George come in here with a pile of dung bombs."

Harry jumped, startled, and his eyes snapped to hers. Ginny smirked a Weasley grin that would make Fred and George proud. "You never know what they decided to do with them."

Laughing, Harry turned back to gathering his and Hermione's books. "Thanks for the heads up, but I think that they have better targets than me."

Ginny's grin widened. "Like Zacharias Smith?"

Harry turned to her with a grin, done with filling his pack and lifted it to his shoulder. "Exactly."

Her face twisted into a mock frown. "Isn't it a sign of a bad teacher to show bias against his students?"

"If I have bias, then I blame it on learning it from Snape…" Harry said with a grimace.

Ginny laughed outright, and replied, "Just Snape? I would like to think that Umbridge had some hand in it."

Harry groaned, running a hand down his tired face. "Don't remind me… I finally got that horrid toad out of my mind."

Smirking, Ginny decided to tease him a bit, and brought her fist to her mouth and coughed the infamous cough. "Hem, hem."

Despite himself, Harry jumped at the noise involuntarily. Then after an embarrassed look, he glared at her mockingly.

"Don't  _do that_." He said, with a shake of his head. Then smiled at her. "You are way too good at that."

Ginny bit her lip nervously. "Every girl has her talents."

Harry shrugged and noticed that the Room was just emptying with the last of the other students, and gestured his head towards the exit. "Want to head back?"

Ginny bit her lip, unsure of how to proceed. Some part of her wanted to reply with a yes and let the entire matter drop, then she could fantasize about her pleasant conversation with Harry later. But she knew that she would surely hate herself if she didn't say what she needed to say now. As she wouldn't get much opportunity to get Harry alone again.

So, Ginny slowly shook her head. "A-actually, there was something that I wanted to discuss with you."

She forced herself to meet his gaze and found herself lost his in his beautiful green gaze. He was so handsome, it almost hurt, knowing that she would have to give him up.

Ginny wasn't naive. She knew that Harry would reject her. That much was obvious in the way that he looked at Cho. But she had to do this for herself because Hermione was right. It wasn't healthy for her to continue on like this.

Harry's gaze turned worried at her words. "What is it, Ginny? Is something wrong?"

"N-no. It's nothing bad. Well, it actually depends on how you look at it. But it's nothing life-threatening if that's what you are thinking…"

She trailed off at seeing the confused look that took over Harry's face. "What are you trying to-"

"What I'm trying to say is," Ginny said, cutting Harry off. Needing him not to say anything until she got the words out. Ginny wrung her hands nervously, before forcing them to clutch at the sides of her skirt. "Wh-What I wanted to tell you, that is, is that I-I-"

The words caught in her throat. She found that no sound could come out as she gaped open-mouthed at him unattractively.

Concern was evident in his eyes. "Ginn-"

_"I FANCY YOU, HARRY!"_ Ginny yelled, finally finding her voice. Only it amplified.

Harry staggered back in shock, his knapsack fell off his shoulder, and he stared at her in horror. "Wh-What?"

Ginny crossed her arms over her body, feeling distinctly uncomfortable, but forced herself to repeat the words.

_"I fancy you…"_ Ginny whispered, only to the floor this time. And then she waited. Waited for Harry to say anything. Waited for his rejection. She knew it was coming, and she steeled herself for it. Promising no matter what, Harry Potter would not get to see her cry.

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	2. Chapter 2

 

 

 

 

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Chapter Two

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_"I fancy you…"_ She had said to him. But she actually whispered it to the floor.

Harry didn't really know what to think. His mind had shut down. He really hadn't expected her to say that. He had been all prepared for her to tell him about some trouble that she found herself in. Danger that she needed his help with.

But he really hadn't expected little  _Ginny Weasley_  to confess her fancy for him.

Of course, he knew before a little of her feelings for him. But he was able to ignore it, as it had never really been all that important before. Never in the forefront of his life. Always in the back of his mind, never really to be explored in great detail.

But now it was forced to the  _front_  his attention.

What could he possibly say to her? He surely didn't like Ginny in the same way that she liked him. She was Ron's  _baby sister,_ for Merlin's sake…

At that thought, panic suddenly swelled in his throat. If he rejected Ginny, what would the rest of the Weasleys say? Would they disown him as an honorary Weasley if they found out?

This thought caused him great distress until common sense came back to him. Of course, they wouldn't  _disown_  him. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were far too kind-hearted for that. And surely Ron would prefer that he didn't fancy Ginny anyways… which he didn't.

He fancied Cho… who was so pretty, he couldn't help but stare at her whenever she was in the same room.

As he stared gobsmacked at Ginny right then – most likely resembling a fish – he couldn't help but draw comparisons between Cho and Ginny.

It made him feel horrible but he couldn't seem to help it. Cho was older, practically a woman, with curves, pretty eyes, and pouty lips… While Ginny, was, well,  _Ginny_.

Ginny was still a little girl in his eyes. She was small and looked young. And Harry found that he just wasn't attracted to her in the way that he was to Cho.

_"Merlin_ …" Harry breathed. Wanting nothing more than to sit down, as he felt a headache start to form behind his eyes.

As he thought his desire, the room drew forth two separate chairs, and Harry gratefully fell into one.

Ginny chose to remain standing, and Harry noticed how nervous she looked, but determined at the same time. It made him feel guilty that he had yet to say anything to her yet. But his mind was busy trying to compose exactly what he needed to say.

Finally, Harry swallowed and gestured to the chair, wanting her to sit. He knew that they had quite the conversation ahead of them, and if he were being honest, her standing was making him even more nervous.

Ginny slowly stepped forward and sat stiffly in the chair across from his. And again, waited for him to say something,  _anything,_ really.

Frustrated at himself, Harry racked his hand through his mop of hair roughly. "Merlin, I am so terrible at this…" And his hand fell from his head, to cover half of his face, as he looked at her again… this time with pity in his eyes.

"Ginny… I'm sorry. B-but I don't feel the same."

Harry waited, but Ginny gave no reaction except to release a breath that she had been holding. She said nothing for a long time, but Harry could see her eyes shifting back and forth, her thoughts going a mile a minute.

Until she finally slumped into her chair with a heavy sigh and pinched at the bridge of her nose. "I know Harry… I already knew. I-I just needed you to know for me… No-not because I had hoped that you would feel the same way. I know that you didn't even before I said anything."

Harry frowned but nodded. Not really understanding and thinking that girls were just too confusing. Nonetheless, he decided to apologize again. "I'm really sorry, Ginny…"

Ginny waved his apology away. "Ah, don't be. You did nothing wrong. You can't help the way that you feel, any more than I can't help how I feel. But I'm going to try…"

Her voiced cracked at the end and her face suddenly became stone, completely emotionless.

Even though she said it wasn't his fault, Harry couldn't help but feel terrible. He really should have discouraged her as soon as he had heard about her crush on him, that way he wouldn't have unconsciously strung her along all of these years…

Harry was about to voice this aloud to her, but her face took on a whole new determination that it caused him to pause.

"If it's not too much to ask, Harry, I do have a proposal to ask you."

Harry croaked, suddenly his necktie felt too tight. "A-A pro- _proposal?!"_

Despite herself, Ginny couldn't help but snicker at him. "Not  _that_  kind of proposal. I was hoping that we could maybe be friends, if that's alright with you. You spend half the summer staying at my house and we barely know much of anything about each other."

As her words soaked in, Harry calmed down from his reaction to her saying proposal.

Ginny bit her lip. "I promise that I won't hold any feeling for you anymore. At least I will try. Hermione has already suggested that I see other people…"

She cut off as Harry suddenly grinned at her. "I would love to be friends, Ginny."

Ginny released a nervous breath and grinned back at him. "Just you wait and see how good of a friend I can be. I can be the perfect accomplice at exacting revenge against any of your enemies. Say, Draco Malfoy, perhaps? I know a way to get shrinking powder into his underwear drawer if you are game…"

Sputtering, Harry started to laugh. _"What?"_

Ginny grinned evilly at him. "There is a reason why all of my brothers are afraid of me, Harry Potter. And it's not just because of my famous bat-bogey hex, although it does play a part in it… No, that sort of standard of fear needs to be earned, which I have  _many_  times over."

Harry couldn't believe it. This Ginny was completely different from the Ginny he knew before. He felt himself relax and he couldn't help but think that a friendship with Ginny Weasley was going to be mighty interesting after all.

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	3. Chapter 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chapter Three

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Harry's jumbled thoughts wondered at all that Dumbledore had told him. They had just apparated to the Burrow not long ago, after going to see his soon-to-be new professor, Horace Slughorn.

Was Professor Dumbledore really going to teach him private lessons this year after he had blatantly ignored him all of the year before?

And what he had told Harry about how he should tell his friends of the prophecy? Well, Harry wasn't entirely sure... A large part of him _wanted_ to tell them, but the smaller part just didn't really know the words.

How did he work up the courage to tell his friends that it is his destiny to kill or be killed by Voldemort? He could barely wrap his own brain around the fact.

Harry sighed. When Dumbledore told him to tell his friends, he really only meant Ron and Hermione. But Harry found that he not only wanted to confide in his oldest friends but in _Ginny_ as well.

After Ginny had confessed her feelings to him the previous year, they had agreed to be only friends. As he wasn't attracted to Ginny and he also had feelings for Cho.

At the thought of Cho, Harry couldn't help but cringe. After a very wet and disastrous kiss, as well as a horrible first date, Harry realized that he knew nothing about Cho and he didn't fancy her after all. He had only liked her because he thought that she was pretty.

But once he got past her pretty face, all that he saw were tears and possessiveness. A fact that made Harry cringe yet again as he remembered Cho's jealousy when it came to Hermione.

But he and Ginny ended up becoming close friends. He still marveled at how easily she came out of her shell when she wasn't burdened by her crush on him. As well as how much they had in common. Harry actually found Ginny to be quite hilarious and found himself in many situations where he had been laughing uproariously at her Umbridge impersonation. As well as the way she often took the mickey out on Ron.

He remembered the first time that he had witnessed Ginny perform her famous bat bogey hex. Malfoy had seen them walking to the dining hall together and teased them about being a couple. Ginny didn't even hesitate in hexing him, and bats came flying out of his nose.

It left Harry both in awe and in fear of her. When she later got detention for it, she had claimed that she was proud to serve it only so she could put the 'ferret git in his place'.

It was just after the Christmas holiday when she had started dating Michael Corner. And while Harry was glad to see her happy, he thought that she deserved someone better than a bloke like Corner. At the time, Harry marveled at how quickly he had become protective of Ginny. But he reasoned that it was normal for friends to want the best for their friends.

And then she had been there for him during the battle of the Department of Mysteries… Harry's mood plummeted at the thought of losing Sirius, but he quickly pushed the thought aside, not wanting to dwell on it.

He remembered at how adamant she was in joining him to the ministry when he thought that the Death Eaters had Sirius.

He still couldn't believe that she had been willing to risk her life to join him in battle. He definitely didn't see himself as worth it.

_But apparently, she does_ …

So how could he betray such unwavering loyalty by excluding her from learning the truth of the prophecy? The very reason they had the battle in the Department of Mysteries in the first place.

It wouldn't be right not to tell her when she had risked her life in battle over the stupid globe.

So, Harry resolved that he would tell his friends… all three of them. And he walked up to the Burrow's front door.

…

_"HARRY!"_ The shouts of his name startled Harry awake. He was lying in Fred and George's room, as they were staying in the apartment above the joke shop.

Harry's hands scrambled to put on his glasses, and once they were on, he saw clear images of Ron and Hermione before him.

They all greeted each other warmly, and Harry told them how Dumbledore had only needed him to convince Professor Slughorn out of retirement. A tidbit of information that interested Hermione, of course.

"So, um, did Slughorn seem like he would be a good teacher?" Hermione asked.

"Don't know," Harry replied, "Can't be worse than Umbridge…"

Suddenly, the door opened and a lilting, feminine voice came from the hallway. "I know someone who is worse than Umbridge…"

Harry couldn't believe his eyes. A girl came into the room. And what a girl she was... She had long, wavy red hair that stretched down her back. Wide, brown eyes that looked huge on her slender face. And curves that complimented her tiny waist.

She was the most beautiful girl that Harry had ever seen. And she was standing in the middle of his temporary room, while he was still in his pajamas, and undoubtedly with a very untidy head of hair.

Just at the sight of her, he felt himself twitch inside of his pajama bottoms. A fact he desperately was trying to control, lest he embarrassed himself.

The girl suddenly smiled at him, though and it made his heart stutter, his loose pants becoming even less loose, and his ears started to redden.

"Hi, Harry." She said in greeting.

He couldn't believe that this gorgeous girl was greeting  _him_  with a hello. Like they were old friends.

"What's up with you?" Ron asked the girl, exasperation in his voice. Harry turned gobsmacked towards Ron. He couldn't believe that his best mate could treat such a beauty with such disdain and annoyance.

"It's  _her!"_ The girl replied, frustration evident in her voice. The girl easily diverted Harry's attention back to her. "She's driving me  _mad."_

"What's she done now?" Hermione asked, annoyance also tinged in her voice.

"It's the way she talks to me, you would think that I was about _three!"_ The girl exclaimed while Harry was left thinking how anyone could mistake such a stunning, young woman as a child when she clearly wasn't one.

"I know…" Hermione sighed, with a roll of her eyes. "She's so full of herself."

"Can't you two lay off of her for five seconds?!" Ron exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah, that's right. Defend her. We all know that you can't get enough of her." The girl said with a dramatic roll of her eyes and an accusatory tone in her voice.

Harry didn't know who had upset the girl, but a part of him wanted to find who was responsible and make them right the wrong that they had done to the girl.

He suddenly had the urge to get to the bottom of this, just so he could see the girl smile at him again.

"Who are you-" He had been about to ask.

The door opened again, and Harry recognized Fleur Delacour coming in with a breakfast tray for him.

"'Arry!" Fleur exclaimed and set the tray down as she kissed both of his cheeks. Harry peaked a glance at the red-headed girl and was surprised to see a sour look directed at Fleur.

Mrs. Weasley stormed in then. "There was no need to bring up the tray, I was just about to do so myself." Mrs. Weasley said, angrily.

"Eet was no trouble," Fleur said, then she turned back to Harry, "I've been longing to see you. You remember my sister, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about 'Arry Potter. She will be delighted to see you again!"

He could see the beautiful girl mock gag in the background behind Fleur. And he had to stifle and smirk.

"Oh… Is she here too?" Harry asked, hesitantly, hoping that the young French girl wasn't.

"No! No, silly boy!" Fleur exclaimed. "I mean next summer when we – but, do you not know?" She asked, surprise showing over her entire face.

"We haven't got around to telling him yet…" Mrs. Weasley half-heartedly tried to reassure.

"Bill and I are going to be married!" Fleur exclaimed, excitement shining in her gaze. But Harry couldn't help but notice that she was the only one excited, as everyone else in the room had a sour look on their faces.

"Oh!" Harry said, awkwardly, "Uh, congratulations."

To which Fleur grinned in reply, before turning to leave the room.

"Well, enjoy your breakfast, 'Arry!" She called over her shoulder.

They were all silent for a beat before the stunning girl broke the silence. She looked directly at Mrs. Weasley and said, "You hate her."

"I do not hate her," Mrs. Weasley denied, "I just think that they've hurried into this engagement, that's all."

"They've known each other a year…" Ron argued.

"Well, that's not very long." Mrs. Weasley countered. "I know why it's happened, of course. It's all this uncertainty with You-Know-Who coming back. People might think that they are dead tomorrow, so they're rushing all sorts of decisions that they normally take time over. It was the same the last time he was powerful. People eloping, left, right, and center."

"Including you…" The girl replied, knowingly. And Harry wondered how she knew such a thing. Was she a relative to the Weasleys who was visiting for the summer? It would explain much with why she was here, as well as the fact that she had red hair.

Harry found that he hoped that she came to visit for every summer from now on... Or to just not leave at all.

Suddenly a fantasy of him showing the beautiful, new girl around Hogwarts came to mind. He would be the best tour guide that she could find, undoubtedly. At least he would try to be. He had yet to utter a single word directly to the girl. And he didn't even know her name...

"Yes, well, Arthur and I were made for each other, what was the point in waiting?" Mrs. Weasley stressed, "Whereas Bill and Fleur, what have they really got in common? He's a hard-working, down-to-earth sort of person, whereas she's-"

"A  _cow."_ The girl seethed slowly, and it took all that Harry had not to choke from what she had said. He found her obvious dislike for Fleur interesting, and her reactions to the French girl  _hilarious_. "But Bill's not that down-to-earth. He's a Curse-Breaker, isn't he? He likes a bit of adventure, a bit of glamour. That's why he's gone for  _Phlem_ …"

He couldn't help himself, he laughed uproariously at the nickname that the girl gave Fleur. Everyone in the room turned to look at him, as he held his sides together so tight, that it hurt. There was a smidge of amusement in Hermione's eyes and annoyance in Ron's as he noticed that Harry was taking the opposite side than his. But as Harry looked up at the gorgeous girl that he was quickly becoming obsessed with staring at, he could see the obvious approval all over her face as she looked at him.

He felt his spirits lift high at the look that she gave him. And he knew that he had somehow won her favor. His laughter calmed quickly after that, and he beamed at her with his winning smile.

That was when he noticed Mrs. Weasley was staring at him with a bewildered expression. "My goodness, Harry. Are you alright?"

At the concern for his well-being, Harry felt his entire face start to darken to a Weasley red. "Yes, yes. I'm fine. Just thought what she said was funny…" Harry muttered, embarrassed.

Mrs. Weasley's face twisted with lines of disapproval. "It was no such thing." Then she turned her hard eyes on the girl. "And  _honestly,_ you need to stop calling her that, Ginny."

_Ginny…_

_Ginny…_

_Ginny…_

The name seemed to echo in his ears before it finally made purchase in his thoughts. Then Harry froze. His entire mind had stopped functioning at any high level, as he stared after Mrs. Weasley in complete shock as she left. He briefly recalled Mrs. Weasley telling him to eat his eggs before they got cold, but he didn't reply to her and she left just after that.

He slowly turned his eyes away from the door, and they shifted until they landed on the girl.  _Ginny_ …

This girl - the girl that just made his pants too tight, the girl who had just made him laugh in a way he rarely did anymore, the girl who made butterflies dance in the pit of his stomach and made him beam with happiness just from a smile directed at him – This girl was  _Ginny Weasley_.

He could hardly believe it.  _Little_  Ginny Weasley…

_Not so little anymore, is she now?_ His thoughts spoke back to him, as his eyes drifted down to appraise her lithe body. And as he stared at her, he felt something else become not so little anymore.

What was  _happening?!_ What had happened to  _her?_ To Ginny. When had she become, uh, so  _grown up?_

His dick twitched once again as he stared at her breasts, and he felt himself grow to full-mast. Harry started to panic. He was getting turned on by  _Ginny Weasley_  in a room with her brother sitting in it. And he was wearing nothing but flimsy pajama pants and boxers to cover that fact.

He thanked his lucky stars that he was still sitting in bed, the comforter covering his lap. Or otherwise, Ron would surely kill him…

What was happening to him? He wasn't supposed to fancy Ginny. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley are supposed to be friends, and nothing more. He had made sure of that…

_But then why was he already imagining what she looked like without all of her clothes on…?_

No, no, no, no, _no!_ This was all wrong. So very, very wrong.

But as Harry looked at her, he wondered if it really was wrong. What was so bad about fancying Ginny Weasley? In fact, Harry could see many benefits indeed. His cock sure knew what he liked, that was for sure…

As he thought of said appendage, he was reminded at how hard he was… it was starting to get rather painful.

It was then that Mrs. Weasley returned and demanded that Ginny joined her in the kitchen.

"I'm busy talking to this lot!" Ginny complained, an adorable scowl of annoyance gracing her features.

"Now, Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley hissed and turned back out the door.

Ginny sighed and turned back to them. "It's just that she doesn't want to be alone with Phlem, is all..." She said sourly, before strutting out the door.

Harry was saddened to see her leave, but he could definitely appreciate how she walked away. His arousal was testament to that...

When Ginny left, Harry immediately voiced his need to be alone to get ready for the day, before either Ron or Hermione could start in on a long conversation.

They both have him weird looks at his abruptness before getting up and leaving him blessedly alone.

Harry heard the door click behind them, and he waited a solid minute after they had gone before whipping back the covers and sticking his hand down his pajamas.

As soon as his hand made purchase on his length, he let out a long, hearty groan.

Harry had never been this turned on ever... In fact, Harry rarely ever masturbated. Not even when he liked Cho.

There were many reasons why he hadn't. One was that he spent most of the year in a crowded dorm of boys. Which he knew that his dorm mates still wanked every now and then, but it didn't make it any less awkward. He specifically remembered one instance where Neville had been caught beating it off, and Seamus, Dean, and Ron would not stop pestering him about who he thought about while doing it… Harry had felt extremely embarrassed on behalf of the timid Gryffindor, and resolved that the resulting embarrassment just wasn't worth it in the end.

Another reason was that Harry always seemed to have some worry on his mind, and a quick wank hardly seemed important compared to everything that had happened in the last five years. He already had lost many nights to nightmares.

And lastly, he never really had any motivation to wank. As in, no ammunition for his spank bank.

Well, he certainly had no troubles with that now...

His mind easily conjured many fantasies of him and Ginny  _together_. They were all very tantalizing and made his mouth water. Before he finally settled on one image of her long, red hair draped around her face, as she sensually teased his cock with her tongue.

With what Harry knew of Ginny, he knew that she was quick with her tongue and sassy with her fiery personality. Somehow, he just  _knew_  that she would be a tease…

In his daydream, Ginny had given up with using her tongue, and she started peppering kisses all over his length, as dream Harry  _begged_  her to do more.

Dream Ginny smirked at him with a tantalizing smile, before finally complying and taking his length into her mouth.

Harry's hand moved faster at the thought, and he couldn't help but let out a long groan, as tingles of sensations started to form in the pit of his stomach.

Suddenly, the door banged open in a rush.

 

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	4. Chapter 4

 

 

 

 

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_Harry's hand moved faster at the thought, and he couldn't help but let out a long groan, as tingles of sensations started to form in the pit of his stomach._

_Suddenly, the door banged open in a rush..._

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Chapter Four

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"Harry! What is it? Are you alrigh-" Hermione exclaimed worriedly, as she rushed into the room.

Startled, Harry jumped and fell off of the bed, landing on his bum on the floor. His hand still caught in his pajama bottoms.

Hermione froze as she took in the scene before her before her entire face flushed a deep red of scarlet.

"O- _Oh_ …" She gasped, as realization flooded her awareness.

Harry was quick to extract his hand from his pants, acting as though his very hand had just been scorched by whatever he had been holding. He had no problem with his erection now, as it had rapidly deflated. " _Hermione!_ Didn't you think to knock?"

He had never been more embarrassed in all of his life. No, he was beyond embarrassment now.

_He was mortified_.

Hermione didn't look much better off than he did. She covered her face, horrified by what she had just blatantly walked in on. "I know,  _I know._ I'm sorry! I didn't realize what you were doing! I heard you groan, and, well Harry… you sounded as though you were in a great deal of pain!"

Annoyance suddenly overtook his embarrassment and he snapped at her, "Well, I obviously wasn't in pain, now was I? How do you think I could have possibly hurt myself, alone in a sun-lit room, as I was!"

As he said this, he crossed his arms around his body, feeling distinctly uncomfortable and exposed all of a sudden. Even though he still had all of his clothes on…

Hermione's features hardened as she suddenly glared at him. "Well, isn't it obvious? I thought that it was your  _scar,_ Harry!"

Harry paused at this, and despite him not wanting to admit it, her reasonings did make sense… So, he dropped his arms with this realization, feeling terrible for snapping at a friend who had only thought that he was in trouble and pain.

"Oh…" He said, quietly. "Sorry."

Hermione allowed herself to glare at him for a moment longer, before her features softened and relaxed. "I'm sorry too."

Harry nodded and put his head in the palms of his hands. Really, what had he been  _thinking_  starting such a thing as wanking in such a full house? Especially to thoughts of the youngest Weasley. A part of him should be grateful that it was Hermione that caught him instead of Ron.

Harry shuddered to think about if Ron ever found out about where his thoughts had been five minutes ago…

A click of the door being closed was heard, and he thought that Hermione had left him alone again.

But sensing a presence now beside him, he knew that Hermione had silently joined him on the floor. Her soothing hand came up to rub at his back. "It's really nothing to be ashamed about, Harry. It's all a part of adolescence and growing up…"

Harry's fingers rubbed roughly at his temples. "I'm not really ashamed of, well,  _that,_ Hermione…"

Her massaging hand paused in the middle of his shoulder blades, and she asked, "What is it that you are ashamed of then, Harry?"

His hands came up and knotted themselves in his hair. He sat like that for a long moment, before he found the courage to respond.

_"I was thinking of her, Hermione…_ " Harry whispered to the floor.

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed and her lips puckered in confusion. "Who?"

Taking off his glasses, Harry rubbed at his closed eyes. _"Ginny_ … _"_

He didn't have to look at Hermione to know that her eyes must have widened comically as he heard her gasp. He could almost picture the exact expression in his head, having seen it many times before on his friend's face.

Harry waited for her to say anything, but when she hadn't he continued with his confession. "I think that I fancy her…"

And as he said the words out loud, he realized that he really  _did_  fancy Ginny. Putting his glasses back on, Harry pondered this as he looked back and he even noticed some feelings that he had for Ginny before he saw her this summer.

Because really, how could he  _not_  like Ginny? When they had become friends, he remembered being surprised by how funny she was. She had a quick, fiery temper that caused all sorts of people to fear and respect her. And Ginny… well, she had a bit of a devious side.

Harry couldn't help but grin at that. Some part of him thought that she could easily rival Fred and George, but all on her own.

And while Ginny had been pretty when she looked younger, Harry couldn't have helped but notice how gorgeous she had become.

"I fancy Ginny Weasley." Harry declared out loud, testing how it sounded. He grinned broadly at how right it felt.

Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley… He internally mused, and he liked the way that their names sounded when put together.

Then Harry suddenly remembered the night in the Room of Requirement, and he beamed at the memory.

Not too long ago, Ginny had confessed her own feelings for Harry. Sure, Harry hadn't felt the same way about her then, but that was before he had even gotten to really know her. Harry even reasoned with himself that he would have noticed his feelings for Ginny sooner if he hadn't been so distracted by everything that had happened the second half of the school year.

Regardless, Ginny fancied him back. A thought that caused joy to spring to his mind and endless butterflies in his stomach. Harry was beaming widely, and he suddenly felt himself in a hurry to go downstairs and ask her out.

Springing to his feet, he ran to his trunk and started digging through all of the clothing that he had, looking for anything decent. He distinctly grumbled when he couldn't find anything good within Dudley's large, hand-me-downs. But Harry supposed that didn't really matter much, as Ginny had already seen him in the baggy clothing, and yet she  _still_  fancied him.

Harry didn't even bother to suppress the grin. Then he reasoned that what he should really be worried about was his hair. No matter how many times he stuck a comb through it, the mop on his head just wouldn't lay flat.

"Mione?" Harry reasoned distractedly, about to ask for advice, "Do you know of any way to tame this mess on my head? You know, to make it look nice?"

He got no response for a long while, and Harry turned curious eyes on her. She still sat on the floor, still staring at him in shock. Harry couldn't help but grin at her. The realization had shocked him at first, as well.

Finally, something snapped in Hermione and she looked at him incredulously. "Wh-why is it that you want to know?"

Harry thought that it was rather obvious, but he explained anyways. "Well, you know…" He said, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, "To look nice for when I go to ask Ginny out on a…"

Harry trailed off at the look of mounting horror that was growing on Hermione's face.

"What? What is it, Mione?" Harry asked before his memory came back to him and dread started to spread in the pit of his stomach. "Sh-she's not still dating that Corner bloke, is she?"

Hermione quickly shook her head. "No, no. Of course, not. Don't you remember? They broke up two weeks before the end of the school year."

As it happened, Harry didn't remember... Too caught up in his own grief, he was. But Harry didn't dwell on that. He was too focused on the swell of relief that he felt loosening the tight feeling in his chest. He allowed a blossom of hope to spark, but he was also hesitant.

"Not that I'm unhappy about that fact, as she was always too good for a bugger like Corner-"

_"Harry!"_ Hermione admonished him, scandalized.

"But what was with the look, Hermione? You looked like you just found out that Crookshanks keeled over and died!"

His lips pursed as he studied his friend suspiciously, as she now looked extremely uncomfortable. He wondered at what she wasn't telling him. Was she just as concerned as he was by Ron's reaction to all of this?

If so, Harry knew that his best mate would be upset at first, but he would just have to eventually get over it.

Both Harry and Ginny fancied each other. It was strictly private business between  _them,_ with no room for Ron to budge in and force his opinions on their relationship.

"Look, if you're worried about what Ron is going to think of Ginny and I dating-"

Hermione's scoff interrupted him, and her attitude took on an edge in incredulity. Harry was actually surprised to see that Hermione looked a tad  _put out_  at him. "I hardly think you have gotten to the stage where you can go around boasting about your nonexistent relationship with Ginny, Harry. You've yet to even say hello to her. Don't think I haven't noticed..."

Annoyance spread throughout his entire stance, and he crossed his arms roughly. "Who's side are you on, Hermione? Why are you so against me fancying Ginny?"

Huffing, Hermione threw her arms into the air as she finally stood. "That's hardly the  _problem,_ Harry. The problem is that you're too late... Ginny has moved on!"

And with that, Harry was left stunned. Not really knowing what to think...

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	5. Chapter 5

 

 

 

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_Annoyance spread throughout his entire stance, and he crossed his arms roughly. "Whose side are you on, Hermione? Why are you so against me fancying Ginny?"_

_Huffing, Hermione threw her arms into the air as she finally stood. "That's hardly the problem, Harry. The problem is that you're too late... Ginny has moved on!"_

_And with that, Harry was left stunned. Not really knowing what to think..._

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Chapter Five

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His mind went blank for a solid minute, trying to reprocess and catch up to the large hippogriff that Hermione had figuratively shoved at him.

_"Wh_ - _what?"_ He asked in a small voice and wide eyes, his mind still dazed.

He didn't understand. What did Hermione  _mean_  when she said that Ginny has  _'moved on'_ …?  _Merlin,_ this was  _Ginny_  they were talking about. Ginny Weasley had fancied Harry Potter for  _years_  now. _Five years,_ to his exact knowledge. She couldn't just  _stop_  liking him  _now…!_

…Could she?

Hermione's anger had all but melted away at the sight of Harry's face. She gasped and covered her mouth with both hands as she stood before him. Looking mighty guilty and actually on the verge of tears.

"Oh,  _Harry,_ " Hermione breathed, her entire stance contrite. "I'm  _sorry_. So  _terribly_  sorry! That wasn't how I should have told you! It wasn't right for you to find out like that..."

Her apologetic tone snapped him out of his trance and involuntary anger started to overcome him. But he wasn't sure who it was directed at.

"What do you  _mean_  that she has  _moved on?!"_ Harry exclaimed, fiercely. "She  _can't just go_  and  _move on_  just as I start fancying her! That would be  _bloody mad!"_

He couldn't help it. Harry had started to pace as his frustration mounted. Hermione watched him with sad eyes, thinking that nothing good ever really came easily to Harry…

"Well…" Hermione said, quietly, "She has…  _moved on,_ that is…"

But Harry wasn't listening. He was too busy thinking. His mind calculating where it had all gone so wrong enough for them to get to this point.

And his eyes suddenly widened and he stopped his pacing as he remembered what else was said in the Room of Requirement that night…

He had apologized to her for the second time for not feeling the same way for her as she did for him.

Ginny had waved his apology away, then said,  _"Ah, don't be. You did nothing wrong. You can't help the way that you feel, any more than I can't help how I feel. But I'm going to try…"_

It was  _him_ …  _He_  was the one that pushed Ginny away. With his initial rejection of her months ago, she had given up and forgotten all about him romantically in the process.

She tried to get over him. And it seems that she had succeeded...

It was at that moment, that he knew who his anger was truly directed at…  _himself_.

How could he have been so  _stupid?!_  He had  _Ginny Weasley,_  the  _girl of his dreams_ , confess her feelings to him, and he  _bloody turns her away?!_  Had he been  _blind?!_  Could he claim temporary insanity if such a case could last for over  _five years?_  As that was how long he had ignored Ginny in his life…

Determination started swelling in his gut and he turned back to his trunk and doubled his efforts at finding something nice to wear.

Hermione watched him with a bewildered expression as he dug through each item of clothing, each offensive garment that he pulled, making him more and more on edge.

"Harry," Hermione said, "What on  _earth_  are you doing?"

Harry turned to look at her briefly, a hard look in his eyes. "Well, I have to make a good impression, don't I? I figure that if she fancied me before, then maybe I can get her to fancy me again. Who knows? When I ask her out on a date, maybe she will have such a good time, that she will start to fall for me again…"

And he didn't doubt that they would have a fantastic time on a date. Unlike his date with Cho... He and Ginny got along splendidly, and dating her would be like dating his best friend… but just with the  _added benefits._

He finally found an old t-shirt of Ron's at the bottom of the pile. It was orange and boasted that the Chudley Cannons was the best Quidditch team, but it was better than the rest of his overgrown clothes.

"I don't think that will be as easy as you'd like, Harry…" Hermione cautioned carefully.

Harry almost groaned. "What is it now?"

Hermione bit her lip hesitantly, thinking of the best way to phrase what she needed to say. "Ginny isn't exactly  _available_ … She's with Dean."

His eyes buggered out at that unexpected news. _"Dean?_  As in Dean  _Thomas?"_ Harry could hardly believe his ears. _"When did this happen?!"_

He suddenly found that he was no longer all that fond of his Gryffindor roommate, and he found it difficult to recall anything that he initially liked about Dean.

The prat  _did_  steal his girl... Harry's possessive side seethed. But Ginny had never really been  _his_  girl, he reluctantly had to admit. He had his chance and he blew it.

So, really, Ginny had been fair game to any bloke such as Dean.

"They officially got together at the parting feast," Hermione informed him.

Harry's eyes widened. "What? So soon after breaking it off with Corner?"

Her entire demeanor soured as Hermione replied haughtily, "If you are trying to imply that Ginny is  _making her way around_ , then I should  _think_  that making Ginny fall for you is going to a lot harder than you thought if-"

_"No!_  No... I was just surprised is all. I just thought that she must not have cared for Corner all that much for moving on as fast as she did."

Hermione frowned thoughtfully. "Now that it think about it, I'm not exactly sure  _why_  they broke it off..."

Harry pondered this as well. Straining his mind, he looked back on the few observations he had of Ginny and Michael's relationship. And he was surprised to remember how distant they were as a couple together. Which was blazing  _mad_  in Harry's mind. If  _he_  had Ginny as a girlfriend, he would try to get into as much contact with her as often as possible.

But that wasn't how Ginny and Michael's relationship had been at all. In fact, Harry would describe their entire relationship as awkward.

No, they certainly hadn't fit well together at all...

Harry didn't know how Ginny's relationship with Dean was, but if they acted just as awkward together as Ginny and Michael had... Hope blossomed in his chest again. It wouldn't be too difficult then to convince Ginny that she belonged with someone that she was comfortable with. Specifically, someone with messy, black hair and a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead.

"How close are Ginny and Dean?" He wondered out loud.

Hermione studied him for a moment, before she gasped, scandalized. " _Harry Potter!_ Are you  _insinuating_  that you are going to try and  _break up_  Ginny and Dean?!"

Harry scoffed, indifferent. "It's not as though they are married, Mione..."

The look that she gave him was a hard look full of disappointment. "That's hardly the  _point,_  Harry. How would  _you_  feel if you were dating Ginny and some other boy came along and was trying to break it off between the two of you?"

Sputtering, Harry replied, "As if I would ever allow  _that_  to happen!"

The very idea was ridiculous, mad even. As if he would just idly stand by and watch another bloke try to get at his Ginny.

_But she's not **your** Ginny, now, is she?._.. An annoying, stray thought said back to him. But his resolve hardened and he added a  _'yet'_  at the end of it.

"Dean would most likely say the same, Harry," Hermione pointed out to him. "Besides, I think that it's really Ginny's decision if she wants to see other boys besides you!" She said, scathingly.

Her words struck a chord and resonated a sense of déjà vu in his mind. Like an echo resounding over and over again until he fully recovered it.

Suddenly, with a gasp, another memory of something that Ginny said the night he rejected her came to mind…

Ginny had bitten her lip, then she had said,  _"I promise that I won't hold any feelings for you anymore. At least I will try. Hermione has already suggested that I see other people…"_

The realization left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he turned his sour eyes on Hermione. _"What did you do?!_ "

His voice was full of betrayal...

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	6. Chapter 6

 

 

 

 

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_Her words struck a chord and resonated a sense of déjà vu in his mind. Like an echo resounding over and over again until he fully recovered it._

_Suddenly, with a gasp, another memory of something that Ginny said the night he rejected her came to mind…_

_Ginny had bitten her lip, then she had said, "I promise that I won't hold any feelings for you anymore. At least I will try. Hermione has already suggested that I see other people…"_

_The realization left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he turned his sour eyes on Hermione. "What did you do?"_

_His voice full of betrayal._

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Chapter Six

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Hermione was silent for a mere moment, staring at Harry with confusion evident in her eyes. Which was understandable, as they had been discussing Harry trying to break up Dean and Ginny one moment, to Harry outright accusing her the next.

"What do you mean, what did _I_ do?!" Hermione stressed. It almost seemed as though her bushy hair was getting bushier. _"I_  didn't get Ginny and Dean together!  _She_  did that all on her own!"

Harry was so angry, that he started to shake. He knew that his anger was irrational, but he just couldn't seem to help it. It was easier for him to feel angry right then, rather than feeling the crushing disappointment of having lost Ginny Weasley to another guy.

"Oh, _no_ …" Harry mused sourly at her, "You may not have gotten them together, Hermione, but you  _bloody_   _well_   _encouraged_  her!"

Sputtering, Hermione replied, "I did  _no such thing!"_

Crossing his arms, Harry glared at her accusingly. "Oh, really, Hermione? Because Ginny told me a while ago that you encouraged her to see any  _other_  bloke under the sun, besides  _me!"_

Hermione paused, and her face paled. "O- _Oh._ Harry, I promise you that it wasn't like that! You have to understand! She was  _really_  unhappy! So, when I told her that she should let her infatuation with you go after she confessed her feelings for you, I-"

"W-w-w-wait!  _You_  told her to do that!"

He was momentarily shocked out of his anger at the moment as he stared at his friend, flabbergasted. He was still trying to work it all out in his head. Hermione had told Ginny to confess her feelings for him, and then to let those feelings go. And forget about him in any way besides friendship in the process.

If he followed the lines to all of his current problems with Ginny, it all rooted back to Hermione...

"So... So, if you hadn't pushed Ginny to confess her feelings for me... And told her to let go of her feelings afterward..." Harry said as he was working it all out in his mind, "Then, Ginny would still fancy me  _right now?"_

As he spoke the words, his anger was building once again in his voice.

Hermione shook her head, exasperated. " _Honestly,_ Harry! You  _had_  your chance! Don't get angry at me, when  _you_  were the one to turn her down!" She paused for a moment and assessed him with pursed lips. Then she crossed her arms, annoyed. "In fact, I would happen to say that you are getting exactly what you deserve…"

The temper that he was trying to contain was starting to boil over the edge. "What's  _that_  supposed to mean, Hermione? You like to see me suffer, do you?"

Hermione scoffed. "Of course, I don't. You know that. But I also hate to see _Ginny_ suffer, and honestly, now  _you_  are getting a taste of how  _she_  felt. Not only how she felt when you rejected her, but how she must have felt for five  _years,_ Harry. Imagine liking Ginny for that long, hoping that she would only glance your way for just a moment in  _that_  way, only for it to never happen."

The guilt that he felt was tremendous from her words. But he stuffed it away in a box in the back of his mind, wanting to hold onto his anger. "Well, that's exactly what's going to happen, now isn't it? Ginny will go off and be happy with Dean, and I will be the bloke watching from the sidelines, secretly in love, but masquerading as her good friend…"

It hurt just to say that out loud, let alone for him to let it become a reality. Harry really couldn't explain it. It was as though he was always meant to be with Ginny, but some invisible force was keeping him from her… holding him back from seeing how wonderful she really is. Harry reasoned now that the only way that he could really be happy was to have Ginny as a permanent figure in his life. So, it was either risk everything to get her to fall for him again or live the rest of his life feeling an emptiness in his chest.

And to think that if he hadn't been so stupid, he could have already been dating Ginny for several months at that point. His anger flared once again _. It was no thanks to Hermione_ …

It was then that the door opened abruptly and Ron entered the room. He paused, appraising the angry look on Harry's face.

"What's up with you, mate?" Ron asked, concerned.

Harry's anger started to melt at the sight of Ron, and an anxiousness took the place of it. What could he tell Ron? He didn't want to have to lie to his best mate...

But before Harry could even open his mouth to reply, Hermione interjected, still annoyed, as she was, with Harry. "I just told Harry that Ginny is dating Dean, and Harry got upset about it."

If Harry could have shot a hex at Hermione right then, he would. That is, if he were allowed to as an underage wizard... Harry seethed as he glared at her.

Was it Hermione's goal to turn all of the Weasley family against him? First Ginny, and now his best mate, Ron?

But luckily, his best mate was as dense to reality as the day he first met him. He didn't focus on why Harry would care if Ginny was dating Dean... Oh, no. He was upset merely about the fact that it was  _Dean_  was dating Ginny.

Ron's eyes bugged out at the news, and his face started to turn a strange shade of red. "She's  _WHAT?"_ He exclaimed before he stormed out of the room and thundered down the stairs.

Harry allowed himself one moment of relief before he cursed under his breath. Ginny wasn't going to be happy with any of them if Ron came in and started in on her in front of everyone. Hermione must have realized the same thing, as they both ran after him at the same moment.

_"Look at what you've done now_... _!"_ Harry hissed at Hermione, as they clumsily made their way down the winding stairs as well. _"Ginny's not going to be happy one bit."_

Hermione's expression was contrite, having gotten Ginny into a spat with her brother. "Let's just get down there and assess the damage…"

"A damage  _you_  caused!" Harry hissed at her. A part of him knew that he was being unfair by placing all of the blame at Hermione's feet. He was the most to blame for his situation with Ginny, but he couldn't yet focus on how royally he had screwed up.

Hermione glared at him. "Oh,  _shut it,_ Harry!" She said in a very un-Hermione-like tone. It shocked Harry into silence.

They had both just made it outside the kitchen when they heard Ginny yell.

"What's it to you that I'm dating Dean?!" Ginny exploded.

Both Harry and Hermione slipped into the kitchen and Harry lost his breath at the sight of Ginny. Even with the short time away from her, he had forgotten how beautiful she was. A part of him still associated the picture of a younger Ginny to her name in his mind.

Looking at her right then, though, Harry wondered how he could possibly forget. In fact, Harry thought she looked an exceptional kind of beautiful when she was angry. The way her face flushed red with her annoyance, and her eyes flared with fire... Harry reasoned that when they got together, he would spend some time trying to deliberately get her angry just to see her like this.

"Now Ronald," Mrs. Weasley interjected, "Is it really so bad that Ginny has gotten herself a boyfriend? I think that she is old enough to start dating if she likes…"

Harry wasn't much paying attention to what Mrs. Weasley was saying. For the first time, Harry assessed what Ginny was wearing. Too enthralled before by her face, he was, he hadn't yet had the chance to notice the clothes that  _covered_  her body. But he noticed now, and he appreciated what he saw. She was wearing tight blue jeans and a green 'Holyhead Harpies' t-shirt that contrasted quite nicely with her red hair.

_Holyhead Harpies_ … Harry mused.  _It must be Ginny's favorite professional team!_ The thought excited Harry very much, as he remembered that they had quidditch in common, and he marveled at how much more amazing Ginny could get. She was honestly perfect for him in every way. All he needed to do was to get her to see that once again.

It was then that Harry vowed that he would find out what he could about Ginny's favorite team, so he could bond over the Quidditch team  _with_  her.  _They could be fans of the team, together_ … Harry mused.  _Going to games for dates, debating statistics, and celebrating in certain_ pleasurable _ways when they won_ … He felt his cock twitch in his pajama pants once again at the thought.

_"Because,"_ Ron bellowed at both his mother and Ginny, "I don't fancy having to sleep in the same room as a bloke that will be  _wanking_  to  _thoughts of my sister!"_

Harry couldn't help but have a violent coughing fit at that, and Hermione actually sent him an amused glance. It was as though a bucket of cold water had been splashed over his head. He realized that he was still staring at Ginny's chest as Ron said that. Ron could very well be saying the same thing about him instead of Dean...

"Ronald Billius Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, disapproval heavy in her voice. Ginny stood behind her mum, her face now Weasley red in embarrassment. Harry found it adorable.

"What, mom? I've only roomed with the guy for  _five years_!" Ron argued, fiercely, "Just ask Harry!"

Ron turned his gaze to Harry. His face trying to display that Harry should agree with him. "The bloke is a  _randy wanker_ … Right, mate?"

They all turned their eyes to him, including Ginny, and Harry found himself put out on the spot.

_Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to get out of bed this morning,_ Harry thought,  _or I really should have been a lot quieter while doing my own wanking, because then it would have turned out to be a more pleasurable morning_...

"Come on, mate. Hermione said that you were upset about it too!"

His face flushed pink at that... If he wasn't so embarrassed at what everyone thought about Ron's comment, he would have been tempted to throttle Ron. Because not everyone was as dense when it came to girls and feelings as Ron was…

Everyone was staring at him expectantly, wanting an answer. And suddenly, it hit him at how much he should  _want_  to answer. There was no time like the present to start to turn Ginny against Dean, right? But what could he say that could bash Dean, without coming across as a prat himself?

"Yeah," He finally said, "There has always been something a little  _off_  about Dean..."

He tried to keep his eyes off of her as he said this, but it was impossible to ignore Ginny when he was in the same room as her. Ginny's eyes widened in hurt betrayal at his words, and Harry instantly regretted saying them. But it was too late to take them back now… lest he becomes a liar. Or he would have to take them back, and it would encourage Ginny that he thought that Dean was an alright bloke to date…

He wanted neither of those things to happen, so he stayed silent.

As soon as Harry confirmed it, Mrs. Weasley actually seemed to believe the accusations against Ginny's boyfriend and grew concerned. She turned her _'mum'_ eyes to Ginny. "How well do you  _really_  know this young man, Thompson, Ginny?"

Ginny's eyes flared once again, her embarrassment gone with her anger, as she realized that everyone was turning against her. "His  _name_  is Thomas. Dean  _Thomas!"_

With that, it seemed as though Ginny had enough of the conversation and started to storm out of the room. But not before she briskly passed Harry. As she was so close, he felt goosebumps form all over his body, all of his little hairs stand on end, and his skin tingled. But her words… her words, cut off any pleasant sensation he was feeling at her close proximity. Resulting in him feeling cold and miserable.

She muttered to him, sarcastically, as she passed, "Thanks, a lot,  _Harry_..."

And then she disappeared out the back door, leaving Harry behind to feel more horrible than he had all day.

Would it forever hurt to see her walk out of the room that he was in?

A dramatic sigh broke everyone else's concentration on the door Ginny just walked out through.

"I es so glad that my relationship with Bill es approved!" Fleur sighed out in happiness as soon as Ginny had gone. "Et must be tough being de only girl en a family with so many boys..."

This started Mrs. Weasley's irritation again as she briskly turned back to her baking. Stirring the spoon in the batter so fast, that it was sloshing over the edge of the bowl. She didn't seem to notice, though, and no one dared to be the one to point it out to her. Thus, risking her wrath pointed in their direction.

It took Harry a moment before he got out of his stupor and chased after Ginny. Leaving a tense Weasley family behind.

Once he was out the back door, he frantically scanned the area for her, before he quickly spotted her. Which wasn't too difficult, as her red hair stood out in the most exceptional of ways…

She was already far ahead in her angry stride, having crossed the gnome-infested garden and across the field. Harry reckoned that she was headed towards the pond.

He quickly ran to catch up to her.

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	7. Chapter 7

 

 

 

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A/N: Please Review! I love reading your comments!

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Chapter Seven

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"Stupid  _PRAT_  of a brother!" Ginny muttered, sourly in her angry stride. "Bloody getting me in trouble with mum for no good reason!"

But if she were being honest with herself, that was normal 'Ron' behavior. He had been overprotective of her ever since he was old enough to think for himself...

_Which, even then, is a struggle for Ron_... Ginny seethed.

No, if she were being one hundred percent honest with herself, what she was really mad at was  _Harry_  siding against her.

It was typical. Of  _course,_  he would side with Ron! How delusional was she to think any different? But she couldn't deny how hurt she had been when she realized that he was against her. She was stupid for thinking that he would actually stick up for her... That  _their_  friendship would mean as much to him as his friendship with  _Ron_.

But of course, it wouldn't. The same could be said with his friendship with Hermione. No one could get in-between the  _Golden Trio_ … especially not  _little_  Ginny Weasley.

But then, Ginny reasoned that she wasn't so little now. She had finally hit the growth spurt that she had been waiting for. It had just only come a couple years too late…

Her mum had told her that she had been a late bloomer as well and that it must run in the family. Regardless, Ginny had been quite obviously relieved when her curves finally formed from her twig-like figure and she grew a couple of inches.

She had thought that if she no longer  _looked_  like a little girl, she would no longer be  _treated_  like one.

But she had obviously been wrong about that… If anything, the belittling treatment that she had gotten before had gotten worse. She couldn't much remember Harry being so over-protective of her like her older brothers.

_That was just what she needed,_ Ginny seethed sarcastically,  _another older brother to tell her not to do things that she wanted to do_ …

It was then that she finally reached the pond. It was a place she came often when she wanted to be alone to think. The water looked so cool and inviting, and she felt so hot from her angry trek over. She decided a little dip would do her a world of good.

So, she shucked her Holyhead Harpies t-shirt and blue jeans until she was down to nothing but her white bra and knickers. Then she walked forward and quickly submerged herself under the soothing, cool water. She held her breath for about thirty seconds before her head bobbed back over the surface, and she found herself standing in shallow water, the water line at her waist.

It was as she was wiping the water out of her eyes when she heard it…

_"Sweet_ ,  _Merlin_ …"

Ginny yelped in surprise as her eyes snapped up to meet the large, saucer eyes of Harry Potter, standing on dry land – still in his pajamas - as she stood in a pond with only her underwear as her cover…

Her arms snapped up and defensively crossed over her chest, her face turning a deep red of scarlet.

_"Harry!"_ She yelled, beyond mortified, _"Bloody_  hell!  _Turn around!"_

He seemed to be frozen, staring at her for a mere moment longer, before he snapped to attention and whipped his whole body around so fast, Ginny thought for sure that he would get whip-lash…

_"Merlin,_ Ginny, I'm so  _sorry!"_ Harry apologized, as she quickly made her way to shore. "I-I  _didn't know_  that you were – that, that  _was all_  that you… Oh,  _bloody_  hell… You've got to believe me!"

Ginny didn't even bother to respond as she whipped her t-shirt on, still inside-out, and threw both of her legs into her jeans… it was completely uncomfortable as her body was still soaked from her dip in the pond.

But as soon as she was dressed, she walked forward to Harry's back and lightly touched his shoulder. He jumped a foot in the air and hesitantly turned his gaze over his shoulder to see if it was alright to look. He relaxed slightly as he saw that she was fully clothed once again, but Ginny observed that he was still tense as he turned to face her fully.

Her face was still burning fiercely, as was Harry's. They stood in silence for a long while, each trying to get over their own initial embarrassment, as well as really having no words to say…

Finally, it was Harry that broke the silence. "H-hi."

Her head, which was intently studying her toes, snapped up at the sound of his voice. "Wh-what?"

Harry fidgeted. "I, um, I said, 'Hi'… I realized that I didn't get to say hi to you earlier…"

And then Ginny couldn't help it. It was either because of the nerves that threatened to spill over inside of her or because she found it hilarious at how awkward he was acting, but she couldn't hold back the giggle of laughter.

It wasn't long before Harry joined her, and they had to lean on each other for support. Harry's shoulder getting wet from where it touched her.

When they finally settled, they were both heaving and gasping for breath. Until Harry was staring at her with a strange look in his eyes. She couldn't quite interpret what it was. But it was at that moment that she remembered that she was supposed to be angry with him.

Harry must have seen this in her eyes because he spoke quickly before she could get any words in. "I'm really sorry about earlier, Ginny. And I'm not talking about walking in on you in only your…  _knickers,_ " He whispered the word as though it were a secret slur.

"I'm sorry for what happened in the kitchen. I'm not going to take back what I said, but I'm still sorry."

She directed her best glare at him. "You know," She mused, haughtily, "I already have six protective, older brothers. I have no desire to have another one."

Harry groaned out loud, exasperated, then he slumped to the ground, his back against the large, oak tree, and she followed his lead and sat across from him. "Trust me, Ginny. I don't want to play the role of older brother to you. That role has unofficially been taken up by Hermione for me... Even though, she is technically older than me..."

He cut off with a bite of his lip, and Ginny realized that Harry was rambling. Almost as though he were nervous.

This surprised her. Was it really that difficult for Harry Potter to share his emotions with anyone? Including his friend?

"What I am trying to say, Ginny, is that you are my friend. And I only want the best for you..."

His green eyes lifted to meet hers then, and what she saw was true sincerity. It confused her.

"And you don't think that Dean is  _good_  for me?" She accused him, a slight bite to her tone.

Harry flinched and turned his eyes away from her then. "It's like Ron said... Dean is, well... Dean is a bit of a  _'randy wanker'_ , as Ron so eloquently put it... You didn't really know him all that well before, and Ginny, the way he would talk about girls before... Well, I can understand why Ron, as your brother, would be upset that you were dating someone like that."

Ginny frowned.

"People can change, Harry. It's called growing up, and becoming a mature wizard…" She reasoned. But a part of her was a tad upset that Dean would talk about girls in any bad way… even in the past. But who was she to judge? If every person were forever held to past mistakes they made, then what did that say about her writing in that stupid diary in her first year? She could have killed someone, for Merlin's sake!

_No… Tom is the killer, not you_. She reminded herself of her own personal mantra. She remembered a time when she used to have to say that to herself every single day… multiple times a day, even. Except she hadn't had to say it as often as soon as she had seen Harry again that summer… He had made Tom disappear out of her thoughts just as much as he had made Tom disappear in real life.

She had felt safe whenever he was around. Some part of her still unconsciously felt that way. But she reasoned that it was only natural to feel safe around the _'Savoir of the Wizarding World'…_

No… he is called the _'Chosen One'_ these days, isn't he? She wondered if there was any truth to that proclamation. And if there were, would Harry even bother to tell her?

Ginny swallowed thickly, before she continued, "Besides, you know more than anyone how much people can change," Ginny pointed out, "You are hardly the scared, scrawny boy that I met at King's Cross, just as much as I am no longer the blushing, bumbling idiot that would clam up every time she saw Harry Potter!"

Ginny laughed and Harry joined her, but it sounded forced coming from him. "Yeah, you haven't happened to stick your elbow in any butter lately, have you?"

Ginny gasped and reddened in embarrassment. "You  _noticed_  that?" Her cold hands came up to cup the heat at her cheeks.

Nodding vigorously, with a large smile, Harry seemed more genuinely jovial than he had a moment before. "I noticed you a lot more than you originally thought." Harry mused. "I specifically remember this lovely poem that I got in my second year…"

"No…  _No!"_ Ginny exclaimed, _"Don't you dare bring up that wretched_ -"

"His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad," Harry recited, effectively cutting off Ginny's protests, "His hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he was mine, he's really divine, the hero who conquered the Dark Lord."

Ginny covered her face, mortified and cringing at the memory.

"The singing dwarf added just the right touch," Harry added, with a chuckle.

Peaking at him from between her fingers, Ginny sighed, before dropping her hands from her face. "I never really apologized for that, did I?"

Harry waved her off. "Aw, don't worry about it. Sure, it was embarrassing at the time, but now I sort of like it. It's actually kind of catchy, isn't it?"

The prat actually had the nerve to smirk at her, and she retaliated by shoving his shoulder playfully, to which he laughed at.

Then she sighed and thought about what Harry had said regarding Dean… before she made up her mind.

"About Dean…" She started, and noticed that Harry had instantly become serious at the mention of her boyfriend… "I hear what you are saying, and I respect your opinion…"

She momentarily paused at the growing smile on Harry's face, confused by it.

"…but,"

His smile dropped.

"I really want to be the one to make my own opinions and base my own decisions on those opinions. Because as much as I think you are trying to be sincere when you say that you aren't trying to be a protective, older brother, I really think that you and Ron will never approve of anyone that I choose to be with. So, if I listened to both of your opinions every time, how will I ever know for myself?"

Harry looked as though he were about to interrupt and protest throughout her entire speech. But he was quiet when she finished. His brow was furrowed, clearly thinking hard about what he was going to say before he finally turned concerned eyes to her.

_"You're going to get hurt…"_ He whispered, his voice sad.

Ginny tried to shrug nonchalantly. "You don't know that…" Then she tucked her body in, so she was hugging her knees, staring intently at her toes. "Besides, it's not the first time that I got hurt, but I managed to get over that, didn't I?"

She turned to look at him with a small smile, which she lost as soon as she saw the evident frown on his lips, as he glared at the ripples in the pond.

She stared at him as he stared angrily at the pond. She had forgotten how handsome he was. And it was nice to just appreciate his attractiveness unhindered.

Ginny simply waited for him to say something, and it was a while before he finally did. "Just… Just promise me something...?"

She didn't respond vocally and waited until he turned his gaze back to her. When he was looking her right in the eyes, she gave a small smile and a nod of acquiesce.

_"Promise me that as soon as there is a moment of doubt, that you'll seriously reconsider your relationship with Dean…"_ Harry whispered so quietly, that Ginny had to strain her ears in order to hear him over the rustling of the trees.

A small frown grew on her lips, but she nodded her consent. It wasn't as though Harry was asking Ginny to break up with Dean… he was asking that she  _reconsider_  if she ever had any doubt. And really, how could she deny such a fair request?

"Can I hear you say the words, Ginny?" Harry asked, his eyes really sad for some reason.

Ginny couldn't help but sigh as she replied, "Yes, Harry. I promise."

Harry nodded firmly, still not any happier now that he had Ginny's promise. But at the moment, it was all that she had to give…

Harry laid back more into the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes, tiredly. It was then that Ginny remembered that he must have gotten in pretty late the night before.

"Tired?" She asked.

Harry shook his head, his eyes still closed. "Not in the way that you may think…" He replied.

Ginny wasn't quite sure what that meant but decided to change the subject to something that she was genuinely curious about.

"So…" Ginny mused, "The _'Chosen One',_ eh?"

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	8. Chapter 8

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A/N: Please Review! Let me know what you think!

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Chapter Eight

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The Weasley's, Hermione, and Harry all rushed through the barrier to 'Platform 9 ¾'. They were running a bit late, as usual. They had a mighty time trying to get Ron out of bed, who would most likely still be asleep if they hadn't woken him.

The thought caused Harry to snicker, as Ron was still trying to flatten his bed hair as he had no time for a shower. But Harry reasoned that it was nice not to be the only one with wild hair.

They quickly shucked their trunks in the storage space and boarded the train, and all four of them turned out the window to wave goodbye to Mrs. Weasley.

"Look after one another, now, you hear?" Mrs. Weasley called out to them, tears in her voice and gathering in her eyes. "Be good, and study hard! No arguments, Ron!"

Ron paused in his waving, looking offended. "Why'd she have to call  _me_  out?"

They all laughed and ignored his question. The train started to move as the whistle blew. And Hermione and Ron turned to Harry and Ginny.

"Well, see you both later," Hermione said, "Ron and I've got a prefect meeting to get to."

"Ugh, don't remind me, Hermione…" Ron complained, and Hermione shot him a sour look.

"Ronald, if you want any chance of being made head boy next year…!" She was still arguing as they walked off to the front compartment together.

Harry smiled internally as he watched them walk away. He had been waiting for this moment for weeks. A time where he could finally be alone with Ginny again. He hadn't had the chance to be alone with her since their day sitting at the pond. Where he had walked in on her in just her  _bra_  and  _knickers_ …

Harry couldn't help but smile at the memory. It still made him giddy just thinking about it. Sure, it had been embarrassing at the time… especially with him having to hide his large erection from Ginny's notice as a response to seeing her so…  _unclothed_.

But now, he looked back at the memory through a lust-fueled haze. She had been wearing a white bra and panties… and they had been so  _gloriously_  wet, and almost see-through. He remembered having seen the outline of her pert nipples, as she must have been cold to cause such a reaction. It was all so endlessly fascinating to him. He wondered many times what reaction her nipples would make if he touched them, or if he kissed them…

He could tell just by looking at them, that her breasts would fit perfectly into the palms of his hands. His fingers and cock twitched at the thought as his imagination ran wild with the vivid images.

He had found himself many nights, since that day, laying in Fred and George's old room, wanking to thoughts of Ginny in her knickers. And that would turn to her  _not even_  wearing that in his mind.

_Mmmm… Ginny deliciously naked_ …

That one day at the pond fueled so many fantasies for him, that it was difficult for him to wait until nighttime so that he could beat off to said fantasies…

His favorite one was one where he would catch her in the pond, just as he had in reality, but instead, he would shuck his own clothes and join her in the pond.

She would be confused at first, but then she wouldn't be able to contain her desire for him… She would come up and press herself against him and…

He shook himself of that thought as he felt himself starting to harden in his jeans.

He turned to Ginny and beamed at her with a wide smile. He couldn't wait to be alone with her. He really enjoyed spending time with her, just talking and laughing about things. It made him feel as he thought any teenaged boy should feel.

Normal.

Ginny returned her own smile at him, and he grinned even wider. She was so beautiful when she smiled… but Harry reasoned that she looked beautiful all of the time. Even when she wasn't smiling. He thought this as he remembered fondly how attractive she looked while angry. Before he shook those thoughts away and spoke to her, "Fancy finding a compartment together?"

His heart sank as he saw Ginny's smile freeze before it melted away altogether. "Sorry, Harry. But I better go find Dean and sit with him for a while. I haven't seen him all summer, and I promised him in the letters…"

Harry tried not to let the crushing disappointment show on his face. Of course, she would want to sit with her boyfriend… He was foolish for looking forward to her sitting with him when there was no such guarantee that she would.

"Oh! Uh… that's okay. I understand," Harry replied, lamely, "I-I guess I will just see you at the sorting feast?"

He tried not to make his voice sound too hopeful. And his heart lightened just a bit when she smiled at him and nodded. "See you around, Harry."

And then she was gone. Leaving Harry behind, with no one to sit with on the train.

Harry sighed out gruffly, annoyed at his own self-consciousness. And after tightening his grip on Hedwig's cage, he made his own way down the corridor.

His annoyance grew even more as he noticed many people gawking at him. Whispers were passed around as he passed, people not even caring if he heard them or not.

_"Do you think it's true about Harry being the 'Chosen One'?"_

_"I heard that he made it all up for attention…"_

_"I heard stories about what happened at the Ministry, last spring…"_

Harry gritted his teeth and moved onward, passing full compartment after full compartment.

If he couldn't sit with Ginny, Ron, or Hermione, he just wanted to sit alone for a while.

Harry was passing yet another full compartment when one door popped open abruptly in front on him. He jumped back in order to avoid getting hit in the face by the door. Which he narrowly missed...

He scowled at the door and turned his scowl at whoever was responsible for doing it.

It was a girl, who looked to be about a fourth year, who had black hair and eyes that were beaming up at him.

"Harry," she breathed, and before he knew what was going on, she snatched his arm and pulled him into her compartment, forcefully.

"Why don't you sit with us, Harry. Seeing as you are alone..." She said in what Harry supposed was supposed to be a flirtatious voice, as she closed the door behind her.

Which was how Harry found himself alone in a closed compartment full of giggling, fourth-year girls...

Harry did not sit down. He was standing uncomfortably in front of the closed door as they all giggled and gawked at him.

All, except, the brazen girl that had put him in this situation in the first place...

She put her hand on his shoulder and asked in a sultry voice, that was too overdone to be natural, "Do you have a girlfriend, Harry?"

Harry quickly weaseled himself away from her touch, trying to put as much distance between them in the limited space that they had. "Er, uh... No, I, uh, don't..."

The brazen girl turned to all of her friends then, a victorious smile on her lips. "See? I  _told_  you he wasn't still dating Cho Chang..."

Harry felt his face redden at the reminder of his sort-of ex-girlfriend... All of the girls giggled once again at the revelation, and Harry's brow puckered in confusion. Did all girls giggle like that all of the time?

Ginny certainly didn't giggle this much. Then again, he wouldn't mind if she did... She had the sort of laugh that made him want to join in.

"So, Harry," The brazen girl giggled, stepping closer and closer to him than Harry actually would have liked. He found himself pressed against the door, wishing it would somehow absorb him. "Seeing as you're single and all - which is  _crazy_ , seeing as you're the Chosen One - how would you like to-"

But she never had the chance to finish what she was about to say, as just at that moment, the door opened behind him and Harry stumbled back before catching himself on whoever opened the door.

He looked up at his hero to find it was Neville who had saved him.

"Neville!" He exclaimed, pleasantly surprised, as he righted himself up again, only  _outside_  of the compartment door this time.

"Hiya, Harry!" Neville said with a grin, Luna at his side, staring dazedly at the ceiling with strange glasses. "Been looking for you, mate. Ginny sent us to find you and sit with you."

Harry could have kissed Neville or Ginny at that moment, he was so grateful. But most preferably Ginny...

Actually, forget gratitude, he wanted to kiss Ginny anyways.

A snide scoff broke his train of thought, and they all turned their attention back to the brazen girl.

"Come on, Harry," The girl said with a look that implied that she smelled something bad. "You don't have to sit with the likes of  _them_... There is plenty of room for you in here."

She made another grab for his arm, but Harry stepped back, now thoroughly angry enough to forget his politeness.

"I would actually prefer to sit with them," Harry argued, with a glare directed at the girl, "They are my friends and some of the bravest people I know. They both saved me from a couple of scrapes at the Ministry last spring..."

He trailed off when the other girls in the compartment started whispering furiously.

_"It's true! They actually went to the Ministry!"_

_"But-but that means that You-Know-Who really has returned..."_

Harry was getting more and more tense with each word they said. It wasn't until Neville laid a hand on his shoulder and nodded his head to the side, indicating that they should get out of there, did Harry finally relax.

They left unnoticed,  _at first_ , and it wasn't until they were into the next train car did they hear the brazen girl call after him, telling him to come back.

As they were walking, Harry couldn't help but hear a snicker coming from behind him. He turned a quizzical eye back towards Neville, who started outright laughing when he noticed that he had Harry's attention.

And Neville didn't calm down until they finally found an empty compartment somewhere in the middle of the train.

Neville gave a heavy sigh as he sat down, a wide smile still on his face. "Sorry, about that, mate."

Harry thought that he didn't look at all sorry, as he sat down across from Neville.

"It's just that, a lot of blokes would love being in the center of attention for so many girls... But you-" Neville broke off with a laugh again, "You looked as though they are about to physically attack you, and the thought made you sick on top of that!"

Harry huffed indignantly, "Well, it's not as though they were very nice, were they? Didn't you hear how that one girl talked about the two of you!"

Harry was still fuming just at the thought of it...

Luna chose that moment to speak up, but never took her attention off the wall, nor did she take off those weird glasses.

"That would be Romilda Vane..." Her dreamy voice contrasted to the slight frown that suddenly appeared on her face. "You really didn't have to go to the trouble to say those nice things about us, Harry."

Harry's own frown turned resolute and he spoke in a firm voice, "I meant every word I said about you two. It doesn't take just any sort of person to follow me into a den of Death Eaters..."

Harry trailed off at the looks they were giving him.

Finally, Neville spoke up. "You really think that, Harry?"

"I do," Harry nodded firmly, "You're both my friends."

"We are?" Luna asked, surprised, "Huh. Well, that's good to know..."

Neville laughed as Luna went back to staring all around her in fascination before he turned back to Harry.

"So, are you thinking about starting up the D.A. again this year, Harry?" Neville asked, anticipation thick in his voice.

Frowning, Harry replied, "No, I actually hadn't..."

It was the truth. He really hadn't thought of starting up the D.A. again. And now that he thought on it, he wasn't entirely sure that he really wanted to… The only reason why he had agreed in the first place was that Umbridge was a nightmare and wasn't teaching anything. And it had felt like his own secret revenge against her, that is until they were found out, of course.

But with Umbridge gone, there was really no need to start up the D.A. again.

Then an image of Ginny's face came to his mind. And it caused his opinion on the matter to change…

Ginny was still a year younger than Harry, meaning that he wouldn't get to see her as often as they wouldn't have any classes together.

Perhaps the D.A. would be a good excuse to spend some time with her… Sure, Dean would most likely join back up in the D.A., but at least they wouldn't spend that time alone.

And as the teacher of the D.A., he could keep an eye on things… maybe even separate them when it came to dueling partners. Harry internally grinned at a fantasy of asking Ginny to stay after class for some  _private lessons_ …

"Oh…" Neville's disappointment was palpable throughout his entire demeanor. "I… I had thought that… but I understand if you didn't want to…"

"No! I-I actually think that it's a great idea, mate. I just hadn't thought of it before now, is all," Harry quickly interjected. And it suddenly hit him with how much of a good idea it actually was. With Voldemort out there, planning something big, getting more and more Death Eaters to follow him, it would be quite silly to waste this time in the calm before the storm… They really all should be preparing to the best of their abilities.

_I shouldn't be the only one with extra training this year_ … Harry thought before he continued his thoughts out loud to Neville and Luna. "Actually, I feel quite stupid for not thinking of it before, with Voldemort on the rise…"

Harry was surprised when neither of them shuddered at the name, and he knew then that what he said about them to Romilda Vane has never been truer.

Neville actually smiled wide at him, "That-That's  _great_ , Harry! It will be so nice to have the D.A. this year without having to worry about getting in trouble just for being a member!"

Luna frowned, "But the sneaking around was half of the fun. I remember one instance where I had to turn down a corridor I had never seen before, in order to hide, and I saw a large nesting of Lykuin birds high up in the mantles… Did you know that if you eat their eggs, you get three years of painful boils on your face? And if you pop them, it shoots out poison that can eat away stone…" She said in a dreamy voice.

Coughing to cover his laughter, Harry replied, "Really? I've never heard of Lykuin birds…"

Luna looked at him pointedly, "That's because you're not very cultured with your magical creatures, Harry. But you make up for it in your defense skills…"

Shaking his head, Harry neglected to comment, and they all fell into a comfortable silence, each in their own thoughts.

Harry thought back to how the rest of his summer went with the Weasleys. It had been his best summer yet. Having time to spend with Ron, Hermione… as well as Ginny.

Even though he hadn't had any extra time to spend with Ginny alone, Harry didn't have to try too hard to convince his friends to include her in their summer plans and activities. They all had a fantastic time, it was easy for Harry to forget all of the negative things in his life.

Like Ginny having a boyfriend, or the prophecy…

When Ginny had asked him about being the _'Chosen One'_ at the pond that day, Harry had immediately told her everything about the prophecy, as well as his concerns that came along with it. Ginny had listened intently as he told her everything. Of course, she had voiced her concern and dislike at Harry having to be the one to try and defeat Voldemort…

_"What did Ron and Hermione have to say about all of this...?"_  Ginny had asked him, in a quiet voice. It was clear that she had still been absorbing all of the information that he told her. And Harry couldn't have blamed her. It was a tough potion to swallow.

Harry had given her a puzzled look at the question that she chose to ask, though.  _"I haven't told them yet, hadn't had the chance to…"_

For some reason, Ginny had seemed shocked by this, but she never elaborated why and Harry didn't push her by asking.

In the end, Ginny didn't treat him any different than she normally did. He was still 'Harry' in her eyes. It was both a comfort and a curse to him.

And it was later that night when he had finally gotten around to telling Ron and Hermione, with Ginny there with them as emotional support. A fact that Ron had actually caught on to when she didn't react along the same lines as they did. Shocked and scared.

_"You already knew?! When? How?!"_  Ron had bellowed when Ginny told him that she already knew of the prophecy.

Harry had tried not to meet Hermione's knowing gaze as he had answered for Ginny,  _"I had told her earlier today when she asked about me being the 'Chosen One'…"_  Harry had said.

Ron had looked like he had been about to argue, but Harry had said that he didn't want to hear any more of it. He had expressed his desire to spend the rest of the summer doing fun, normal things. Without anyone bringing up Voldemort, Sirius, or even the looming war.

And that was exactly what they had done. They spent many days in the air, on brooms, tossing about a quaffle or actually playing Quidditch when Fred and George came over.

And it had all been simply fantastic to forget…

That is until they had spied on Malfoy getting up to no good at Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. Harry  _just knew_  that Draco was now a Death Eater, and that was what he had shown what had been on his arm to Mr. Borgin to terrify him so much.

He just had a feeling that they should keep an eye on Malfoy this year, but Ron and Hermione didn't believe him… and they had been right there with him, seen it all for themselves. Harry had been so annoyed with them that a large part of him regretted having them come with him, whereas he could have brought Ginny instead.

Ginny would believe him,  _surely_. In fact, she might have come up with her own theories to what Draco had been after in that shop.

Harry was interrupted from his thoughts by the opening of the compartment door. The three of them all looked up to see Mr. Slughorn, er,  _Professor_  Slughorn, beaming down at Harry.

"Ah, Harry, my dear boy. I have finally found you!" Professor Slughorn praised. "I am hosting a sort of luncheon in my compartment in the back. Do say that you will come…"

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	9. Chapter 9

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A/N: We're going to switch it up a bit in this chapter. You'll see soon what I mean, but you'll find that Ron and Harry's concerns aren't all that unfounded...

Also, reviews help to encourage me to write faster! I'm not going to be one of those stupid Fanfiction writers that say things like, "I'm not going to post another chapter until I get ten reviews!" Because I hate people that do that... It's pretty much blackmail.

The next chapter is well underway, and I will post it soon anyways. But I would still love to hear from you and what you all think of the story! :)

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Chapter Nine

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Dean Thomas was sitting in his compartment, joking around with Seamus Finnigan, as both were flirting with Lavender Brown and the Patil twins.

The Hogwarts Express had yet to leave, and really, Dean was in no hurry for it to depart.

A stray part of his mind realized that Ginny, his girlfriend, was running late. But he really didn't dwell on it and laughed at something that Seamus had said.

But as the train started to depart, Lavender, Padma, and Parvati all got up to leave to talk to some other people.

Seamus groaned dramatically, "You girls sure know how to break a bloke's heart...!" He said with his thick Irish accent, as well as a hand over his heart.

The girls all giggled to each other before Lavender turned back to them and replied, "Don't worry, we'll be back soon..."

Dean flashed them his most flirtatious smile, "That had better be a promise."

They all giggled as their reply and left quickly.

Both Dean and Seamus settled back in their seats as they smiled to each other.

"So, how was your summer, mate?" Seamus asked him.

Dean beamed. "It was  _bloody_  brilliant! Dad took me to plenty of football games. How was yours?"

Seamus shook his head in mock disappointment. "I still don't understand how you can think such a game as football can be better than Quidditch! But I guess it isn't your fault that your brain is permanently confunded..."

Dean leaned forward to punch him in the shoulder for that one, and Seamus laughed as he rubbed at the spot. "My summer was good. Got in lots of trouble... Met some local muggle girls..." He broke off with a randy smirk, "Speaking of girls? Still got that thing going on with little Ginny Weasley?"

Dean laughed. "Yeah... yeah, I do. Thought about breaking it off with her over the summer, but I just didn't have the heart to break hers through a letter. She's actually supposed to meet with me here on the train. Thought that I'd end it here in person, but she's late..."

Seamus shook his head again, but his lips were smirking. "You are one cold bloke, breaking up with a girl right before the start of the school year! Do you imagine that she will skip the sorting feast for a good cry in the girls' bathroom?"

Dean shrugged, not really caring all that much. "Maybe, I don't know."

Seamus laughed again, "I still don't understand why you went out with her in the first place..."

Shaking his head at his friend, Dean couldn't really answer from the top of his head. He didn't really understand why he had gone out with little Ginny Weasley, either. But he didn't really dwell on the reasons why, figuring that he was probably bored and Ginny had seemed... easy.

"True," Dean replied, "I guess I just felt sorry for her... I mean, her and Michael were on the outs, and Harry didn't even want her... even after her pining over him for over five years, you'd think that Harry would at least indulge in a pity date... Or maybe even-"

But Dean broke off what he had been about to suggest by the opening of their compartment door. And in the opening stood the most gorgeous girl he had seen outside of a magazine…

His jaw dropped at the sight of her, and she smiled wide at him – which would have made his jaw drop again if he had bothered to close it the first time.

She had long, wavy, red hair. Wide, expressive, brown eyes on a slender face. A cute button nose, and curves that ran along her body, which any bloke would want to run his hands along…

Dean sure knew that he wanted to…

"Dean!" She greeted him, excitedly. "I'm glad that I finally found you. Arnold was getting difficult to manage, the squirmy, little bugger!"

The girl was holding a purple puffball that was, in fact, squirming in her hold.

Dean swallowed thickly as he stared at the beautiful girl that had directly addressed  _him,_ of all people…

"Yo-You were trying to find  _me?"_ Asked Dean, in shock.

He couldn't understand why the girl would go out looking for HIM of all people. He knew for a fact that there were better-looking blokes on this train… Hell,  _Harry FREAKING Potter_  was on this very train! He couldn't understand why this girl didn't go and find him to sit with instead of Dean, but Dean wasn't about to look a gift-Hippogriff in the mouth…

The girl looked really confused at his question, which Dean thought was sexy. He wondered if she was inexperienced… because the look caused her to look innocent and virginal. He imagined that same expression on her face as his imaginary-self asked her to bend over for him…

_"What's 'sex', Dean?"_  She would look up and ask him, with that slight frown of confusion.

_"Well, beautiful,"_  He would say, with an informative voice,  _"It's better if I just show you…"_

He was broken away from his fantasy as the girl started to speak. "Well, of course, I was trying to find you. I  _had_  promised you that I would in all of the letters from over the summer…"

Letters? When had he sent any-?

And with a start, Dean finally realized who this girl was…

It was Ginny Weasley…

…His  _girlfriend_ …

_Sweet Merlin,_ was he the  _luckiest_  bloke on the planet, or what?!

…

As Ginny walked away from Harry, one hand wrapped around her wiggling Pygmy Puff, she felt bad for leaving him to ride the train all by himself.

Perhaps she  _should_  have invited him to come and sit with her and Dean… but she knew why she had hesitated. For all of the negative things that Harry had said about Dean after he realized that they were dating, she thought that Harry wouldn't be up to his best behavior when around the two of them together…

… _The protective git that he is_ … But she didn't think this about him maliciously. She thought it fondly.

The summer had been an amazing time for Ginny. That is, it had started being a perfect summer  _after_  Harry had caught her in just her underwear… her  _sopping wet_  underwear.

She still blushed scarlet when she remembered what she referred to as _'The Incident'…_

But after that embarrassing episode, Harry had finally confided in Ginny about one of his problems for  _the first time_. And even better, he had told her about the prophecy  _before_  he had even told Ron or Hermione! It still shocked and amazed her at the same time. It made her feel included… more involved in Harry's life as well as a part of the oncoming war.

And what's more, she had spent the rest of the summer directly involved with everything the three of them had done together. She finally felt included in with the  _Golden Trio_ , a feat that she had thought was all but impossible.

Maybe that was why she had felt so guilty at excluding Harry from sitting with her right now…

Just as she had been about to turn around and join Harry anyhow, salvation struck when she caught sight of Neville and Luna coming her way.

"Hiya Ginny!" Neville exclaimed, after doing a quick double-take to assess that it really was her, "Wow, you look different, did you get taller?"

Before Ginny could reply, Luna interjected, "No. Not just that, no… You grew breasts, didn't you, Ginny? Now did you grow them yourself or did you get the seeds from the bongdaloo tree and harvest them on your chest?"

Luna seemed genuinely interested, as though what she just asked wasn't inappropriate at all. Both Neville and Ginny's faces burned, as Neville averted his eyes to anywhere but her and Ginny crossed her arms over her chest, defensively.

"I-I'll let you know  _another time_ , Luna…" Ginny muttered before she took a deep breath and willed the heat in her cheeks away, "You both actually came along at the right time. I just had to leave Harry all by himself to go meet Dean. Could you go find him and sit with him?"

Neville nodded quickly and rapidly made his way up the direction that Ginny just came from. Obviously in a great hurry to get away from his embarrassment with Ginny.

"Thanks, Neville!" She called after him, and he only waved a hand over his head in acknowledgment, not even bothering to face her again.

Ginny chuckled at his reaction, Neville's obvious mortification was making hers more bearable as she saw the humor in the whole situation. Before she turned back to Luna.

"You will tell me all about the effectiveness of the bongdaloo seeds later, will you?" Luna asked, a Ravenclaw gleam in her eyes.

Ginny smirked, feeling mischievous, "Sure Luna. Anytime you're free."

Luna flashed her a smile and put on strange glasses as she went on to catch up to Neville to find Harry.

Shaking her head, Ginny finally allowed herself to laugh, her Pygmy Puff squeaked at the noise and tried to squirm away. She would never understand how anyone could dislike Luna Lovegood… She was entertaining to have around, for sure. A large part of her wished that Luna had been sorted into Gryffindor. Maybe then, she wouldn't have been hurting for friends after her disastrous first year…

_Thank Merlin for Colin Creevey_ … Ginny thought with a smile. Sure, Harry wasn't too fond of her photographer, muggle-born friend, but when he wasn't so busy being star-struck by Harry, he was actually rather inciteful. It had actually been Ginny that got Colin to cool down his obsessive reaction around Harry, telling Colin that Harry hated being fawned over.

She hadn't even known him all that well then, but even she knew that fact about Harry. He hated the spotlight.

Which was one of the many reasons for her crush on him in the past…

Ginny stopped her thoughts on that track right there, not willing to explore that road once again, and continued down the train corridor, looking in the windows of all of the compartments for her boyfriend.

It wasn't until she had gotten near the end of the train when she had finally found him. Dean was sitting in a compartment with only Seamus as company. They must have been talking about something rather funny, as they both had humorous gleams in their eyes as they spoke.

She went forward and opened the compartment door.

"…date... Or maybe even-" Dean had been saying, before he cut himself off, having noticed her standing in the doorway. But what was peculiar about the situation, was that both Dean and Seamus' jaws  _dropped_  when they spotted her.

She wasn't sure what that was about, but her Pygmy Puff, Arnold, was squirming now more than ever. It obviously didn't like the rumbling movements of the train…

"Dean!" She greeted him, both relieved and excited. Because why shouldn't she be excited? This boy sitting in front of her was her boyfriend, after all. "I'm glad that I finally found you. Arnold was getting difficult to manage, the squirmy, little bugger!"

They both merely stared at her with wide eyes… neither bothering to acknowledge what she had just said. Just when Ginny was getting concerned that something was smeared on her face, Dean finally swallowed thickly and spoke.

"Yo-You were trying to find  _me?"_ Dean stuttered.

What?

Did he not remember what they had talked about in their letters? She was confused and she could feel the emotion displayed on her face…

"Well, of course, I was trying to find you. I  _had_  promised you that I would in all of the letters from over the summer…"

Realization dawned on Dean's face a minute later, before he broke out into a wide grin.

" _Ginny_!" He exclaimed rather loudly, "O-of course I remember. Sorry, I felt a bit confunded for a minute there…" Dean rubbed at his temples for emphasis.

Ginny felt herself grow concerned, and Dean must have seen it, because he quickly replied, "It's starting to go away, now. But I do have a slight headache… coming from my neck. I must have slept on it weird. Would you mind rubbing it for me?"

Smiling sweetly, Ginny nodded and went to go and sit next to Dean, before he grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap instead.

Ginny let out a very girly, un-Ginny-like, squeal at the unexpected movement, but let it go. Enjoying the closeness to her boyfriend. Dean wrapped his arms around her waist, tightening his hold on her. Perhaps a little too tight, now that she was thinking about it… but she didn't complain. He must have missed her as much as she had missed him.

"It's been too long, beautiful," Dean said, smoothly, his thumb rubbing circles at the sliver of skin that showed between her shirt and jeans.

She was momentarily stunned by the unexpected compliment.  _Her? Beautiful? Really?_

Not even missing a beat, though, Ginny forced herself to chuckle lightly and wrapped one arm around his back, bent at the elbow so that her hand was resting at his neck. She started to knead at the tense muscles there. "It's a good thing that the summer went by so quickly then, isn't it?"

"How was your summer?" Dean asked quickly, his eyes boring intently into hers.

She grinned broadly at him in response. "It was amazing! Hermione had come to the Burrow earlier than she usually does this summer. So, it wasn't just Ron and me the entire time, which is good, because I'm pretty sure that we would have driven ourselves  _barmy_ , especially since the twins had moved out this summer… Is it crazy for me to say that they actually  _keep_  our family dynamic  _sane?_ Even with all of the pranks and experiments they did before, you would  _think_  that would drive us all  _mad_. But it really kept us on our toes, and from dying from boredom."

She laughed at her own chattering, but Dean didn't join in. His eyes were still roaming all over her face… So, Ginny decided to continue telling him about her summer.

"And then when Harry finally came to the Burrow, we all had such a good-"

Dean cut her off, his face hardening more and more as he spoke, "Wait.  _Harry_  spent part of the summer with you?"

Stunned, Ginny stopped her neck rubbing and reeled back to stare at him. What about that made him get so angry? Unless… "Dean… you aren't  _jealous_  of Harry just because he spent the summer with us, are you? Because that would be absolutely barmy… Harry spends at least half the summer with us, every year!"

Dean rolled his eyes, then replied, "Yeah, whatever… you're  _my_  girlfriend anyways…"

Ginny frowned but let the comment slide, desperately wanting to change the subject. "So, anyways, in your letters, you said that you wanted to discuss something important with me once you saw me on the train…?"

His entire body seemed to have frozen beneath her, as he stared at her in something akin to horror.

It was then that Seamus finally spoke up, apparently having gotten over his goldfish impression.

_"Yeah_ … Dean was just telling me about that, actually," Seamus said in a very snide way, which Ginny thought was very unlike his character. "It had something to do with bathrooms and the sorting feast, right mate?"

The glare that Dean sent Seamus at that moment, made it seem to Ginny that he was about ready to hex him. She had just about to open her mouth and ask all about what was going on when the compartment door suddenly opened.

_"Well, well, well,"_ A snide, nasally voice spoke from the doorway, "Look at what we have here. Little Ginny Weasley is finally all grown up…"

The three Gryffindors looked up to see Draco Malfoy and his two pet goons standing behind him. As Ginny met Draco's gaze, he gave her a very  _weird_  smile… it was as though… he thought that what he had said was a  _compliment!_

She felt Dean's entire stance stiffen beneath her, then he yelled, "You leave her well enough  _alone,_ you bloody –"

_"Oh_ , but what if I don't  _want_  to leave her alone…" Draco mused in a demurring way, as he interrupted Dean. " _Look_  at her. If she wasn't obviously too good for the likes of you, based on looks alone; imagine how much more off-balanced you two are when you factor in both of your blood-status'… A  _filthy mudblood_  like you doesn't deserve a pureblood like-"

But he didn't get the chance to finish… because as he had been talking, Ginny disentangled herself from Dean's restricting arms, whipped her wand out of her back pocket, and performed her trademark curse that made her feared by many…

Bat bogies blew out of Draco's nose and swarmed all around him, as Draco yelled out in pain. There were so many bats, that even Ginny was surprised by their number… But she didn't let her surprise hinder her for long…

"You'd  _think_  that you would have learned your lesson from last year not to mess with me,  _Malfoy_!" Ginny seethed at him with a fierce voice. "Now, I don't know what your obsession is with my dating life… but it's really  _creepy!_ But I guess that's pretty common amongst Death Eater  _offspring!"_

She was reeling herself up to scream at him more, wanting to let loose years of pent-up frustration for the blond Slytherin that made so many of her friends, as well as herself, miserable… but she had been interrupted by the frantic clapping of a pudgy looking man.

_"Excellent_ , my dear! Really, truly  _excellent!"_ That man raved over his applause, _"Inspired,_ I am. Really, truly inspired!"

Ginny froze and felt herself flush under the praise. "Er…"

"You are just the sort I am looking for to join my Slug Club!" The pudgy man exclaimed, pride all over his face as well as his voice. He came forward and started shaking her hand. "How could you ever refuse, such talent as you have! My name is Professor Horace Slughorn."

He was still shaking her hand until Ginny forcefully drew hers away. His name rang a bell… "Professor Slughorn? Oh! Harry told me about you-"

_"And_  a friend of Mr. Potter! Your connections and talent surely know no bounds, Miss… Er, what is it you said your name was?" Mr. Slughorn raved, once again grabbing her hand to shake…

"Er, my name is Ginny Weasley, sir." She said, shyly. For some reason, she found this all so humiliating, and for once she got a glimpse at what life for Harry was like…

"Ahhh, Miss. Weasley," Professor Slughorn said, warmly, "You must join me for my luncheon. It's for club members only, that is, the  _Slug Club,_ a group for promising students such as yourself."

Ginny had just been about to open her mouth to decline when Professor Slughorn started ushering her out of the door.

"Wait, I-" She began to protest, but was interrupted with Professor Slughorn's chatter.

She distractedly heard Dean yell behind them that he would come to find her later, which she had no way of acknowledging…

She eventually sighed and gave up with any hope of protest and went along with it. It  _was_  a great deal better than the detention that she  _would_  have gotten if she had been caught by any other teacher…

She shuddered to think what would happen if Snape rode the train along with the students…

Soon she found herself sitting in the large compartment at the back of the train, sitting uncomfortably amongst other students she had seen around, but didn't know at all. She didn't even know the name of anyone except for Blaise Zambini, who had started at the sight of her one moment, before making a point to glare at her the next.

Which was fine with Ginny. Apparently, none of them were there to make friends.

Ginny was getting steadily more and more annoyed that she had been forced to come here instead of spending the time with her friends or boyfriend when another hesitant presence came up in the compartment doorway…

And she was instantly relieved for his presence if only to save her from the awkwardness and boredom.

_That would be Harry Potter_ , she internally mused,  _Savior of the Wizarding World, foolish girls with diaries, and those who suffer from boredom_.

Ginny felt the relieved smile grace her face as she waved him over to sit in the seat beside her.

Harry saw her wave, and he smiled wide when he noticed her presence in the room…

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A/N: I'm so sorry about the uploading error...! I uploaded it, and all that came up were a bunch of codes! So, sorry to all of you that got an alert for that...

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	10. Chapter 10

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Chapter Ten

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Slughorn had left after Harry hesitantly accepted his invitation to the luncheon. He was embarrassed by the invitation, though, and was annoyed with Slughorn for inviting him in front of Luna and Neville – who the professor had pointedly ignored.

There was no doubt in his mind that Dumbledore was right when he told Harry that Professor Slughorn liked to play favorites. And as for his 'collection' of Harry? Well, it had just begun.

Harry had made an excuse to Slughorn of having to use the loo so that he didn't have to walk with the man all the way to the back of the train… He needed this time to compose himself before he joined the Slug Club.

"Do you think that they will have actual slugs at your party, Harry?" Luna asked him, she was now sitting in her seat, upside-down. Staring all around her with those glasses.

Harry smiled warmly at the girl that everyone called 'Looney'. "It would be a better party if they did, wouldn't it?"

Neville snickered teasingly, and said, "Since when is it  _Harry's_  party?"

The look that Luna gave Neville spoke  _volumes_  in questioning  _his_  sanity. "Well, it is rather obvious that it is to be thrown in his honor."

A flush spread over Harry's neck. " _Luna!_  I-It is  _not_ …"

Luna turned her eyes to Harry then, confusion evident in her eyes. "It isn't? Oh, well, my mistake then." Then addressing Neville, she said, "I guess it's not being thrown in Harry's honor. Which is disappointing, as margipoles are very loyal creatures to those who have a status of regality…"

Both boys shook their heads, getting used to Luna just being Luna. "You'd better go on and head to  _your_  party, Harry. Don't want Slughorn to have to come and find you, again."

Harry nodded and after a goodbye to his two friends, Harry reluctantly stood and left the compartment, and started the walk to the back of the train.

He made sure to quickly pass by Romilda Vane's compartment, not wanting a repeat of the episode from earlier, but with no one to come save him this time.

And he miraculously made it in the clear, without anyone coming to interrupt him.

That is… until he was only three train cars from the back of the express.

Harry passed a compartment with the door open this time, and as he passed, he heard his name being called by someone.

Not wanting to seem rude, he doubled back, only to find it to be Cho who had called for him.

She was just as pretty as ever, perhaps even more so, but Harry found that he was no longer  _allured_  by it as he once was.

Before, Harry wouldn't have been able to take his eyes off of Cho in order to take in the surroundings around her… but now, Harry had no such problem. For instance, Harry noticed Cho's friend – the girl who had told Umbridge about the D.A. – was sitting next to Cho. And Harry didn't even bother to hide the smirk at the sight of acne still all over the girl's face…

Harry really had to congratulate Hermione on her genius once again, for that. He felt no pity for this girl, who had betrayed them. And as a result, sent Dumbledore away when they needed him most. And if Dumbledore had been around at the time that Harry had gotten that horrible, fake vision of Sirius getting tortured, then maybe, just maybe… Sirius could have survived. Because Harry had no doubt that he would have gone to Dumbledore if he had been at Hogwarts.

Cho's friend may not have been the direct cause to Sirius' death, but she was the drop in the pond that caused so many ripples… and a bitter part of Harry blamed her for it. Even though he knew how unfair that was…

Finally, he turned his attention back to Cho. "Hi, Cho."

Cho bit her lip as she studied Harry, making him feel distinctly uncomfortable. "C-can we talk, Harry?"

Harry almost groaned out loud, but just barely restrained himself. A voice in the back of his head had warned him that this was coming… he just hadn't expected it to be so soon, or for him to be caught so unprepared. But he found himself nodding, wanting to get this conversation done and out of the way.

Cho's friend took that moment to leave, her eyes distinctly averted away from Harry, seemingly ashamed. Before Harry walked into the compartment, before closing the door behind him, knowing that neither one of them would want to be overheard during this conversation.

Harry sat down on the seat across from her, and they sat in tense silence, neither knowing where to really start.

Finally, it was Cho who broke the silence.

"So, um, Harry… how are you?" Cho stuttered, a lack of confidence in her soft voice.

Harry swallowed thickly, but determination set firm in his jaw. "Honestly," He began, knowing that it would hurt her more in the long run if he didn't beat around the bush. "I've been doing great. I've had a really good summer. Being around all of the people I love, has done me a world of good, I would say."

Cho flinched at that, and Harry wondered if she noticed that he didn't include her in with the group of people he loved, as she hadn't been around him at all during the summer.  _It wasn't always easy to hear that your ex was happy without you…_

"O-Oh. Well, that-that's really nice, Harry." Cho said before she sighed, "Honestly, though? My summer wasn't all that great…" Cho confided, and tears started to well in her eyes.

Harry almost groaned out in annoyance at the sight of her tears… his first kiss had been a nightmare because of those tears.

"I feel so terrible for how much I made things more difficult for you, last year," Cho explained to him, "But the truth is, is that, I miss you, Harry. We may have only been together for a short while, but I believe that we had gotten off to the wrong foot. And I believe that we are both to blame for that…"

Harry almost scoffed at that part.

"…but I'm willing to try again from the beginning with you if you are."

There had been a time where Harry would have jumped at the chance to be with Cho… but it was because of his fascination with Cho, that he rejected the  _real_  girl of his dreams.

He wasn't about to fall for that again.

He needed to be a free agent this year, ready for whenever Ginny would become available to swoop in and snatch her off of her feet before some other bloke did it first…

But first, he needed to earn the right to even become worthy of Ginny… to make it up to her for his stupid rejection. And what he was about to do with Cho? Well, that was the first step.

So, Harry swallowed the thick bile in the back of this throat and gathered his Gryffindor courage to reject Cho Chang.

"I don't think that it's possible to start from the beginning, Cho," Harry began, looking distinctly at the wall behind her, so he didn't have to see the tears on her face, "Too much has happened since when we were together."

"So, what happened at the Department of Mysteries was true?" Cho asked, in a quiet voice, and Harry found himself nodding, solemnly. He started when Cho reached out her hand and grabbed his. "We-We can work through this together, Harry. Let me be there for you, just as you were there for me after the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

Harry pulled his hand out from under Cho's, and replied, "It's not like that Cho… I've already worked through those demons and I've also accepted them. But in the meantime, all that has happened, it has changed me. I've grown up, is all."

He looked at her now, found the courage to, only to find Cho's eyes wandering his frame once again. "I've noticed… That you've  _grown up_ , that is."

Harry didn't know what she was implying, but he let it go in order to continue. He did have a party to get to, after all. "I hadn't realized at the time, but we don't really have much in common, Cho…"

Her eyebrows puckered in confusion. "But we have Quidditch!" She argued.

"Yeah, but that is just about the  _only_  thing that we do have in common." Harry countered, starting to get a tad annoyed at how she was trying to debunk all of his reasonings for not wanting to be with her.

Her confusion hardened into what looked to be determination. "You just hadn't had the chance to get to know me very well, is all. How could you have, really? With Umbridge and the Inquisitorial Squad making everyone all of last year so tense!"

With his patience starting to get very limited, Harry replied in a harsher voice than he intended to use, "Look, Cho, all that I have to offer you is friendship. It really is all that I can give…"

They both glared at each other before Cho finally sighed, "Fine.  _Friends_ , then. What better way for you to  _really_  get to know the  _real me_ …"

And the look that she gave him spoke volumes in which Harry knew that she hadn't given up on the notion of them being together. He had been about to open his mouth to debunk what she was implying when the compartment door opened.

" _My, my,_  Harry," Professor Slughorn said with an impish grin on his face, "This doesn't look like the loo…?"

Embarrassed at having been caught procrastinating while alone in a compartment with a girl, Harry swallowed thickly before replying, "Sorry, professor. I got distracted…"

Professor Slughorn waved off his apology, "Yes, yes. I can see that. But we best be off now. We are already late."

And then he was pushing Harry out the door. Behind him, Harry heard Cho call after him, "See you later,  _friend_!"

Harry groaned, and ran a hand over his face. That was not how he had wanted the conversation to go… but Cho had been making it  _bloody_  impossible to let her down easy.

This entire train ride was turning into more and more of a disaster. To think that he had been looking forward to riding the Hogwarts Express for weeks now. If only his past self  _really_  knew…

That he wouldn't get to sit with Ginny…

That he would be carted into a compartment full of giggling fourth-year girls…

That he would run into Cho, and accidentally encourage her to pursue a friendship with him, in the hopes of it turning into more…

And then, finally, that he would have to sit in a silly club for a good portion of the train ride, instead of spending it with his friends…

His past self certainly wouldn't be looking forward to September first anymore… Oh, no. He would be dreading it, all the while offering another means of transportation to Ron like they did in his second year with the flying car.

Perhaps he should just be grateful that he hadn't seen anything of Malfoy so far…

With that thought, they finally reached the very last, and largest, compartment on the train. Harry sighed before he opened the door.

But inside, a motioning wave of a hand caught his attention…

It was  _Ginny!_

And she wanted _him_ to come sit next to _her!_

He grinned broadly at her and quickly made his way over to the empty seat next to her. As he sat down, he thought that things were most definitely looking up. Because Ginny was here, without her boyfriend, as well, Harry couldn't help but notice.

Perhaps the Slug Club would be a good thing to be a part of, after all…

"Hey, Gin!" Harry grinned at her, in a whisper, "What are you doing here?"

He couldn't help but recognize the tingles of goosebumps he felt forming on the side of his body that were closer to Ginny.

Ginny scowled adorably, and replied, "You mean, how did I get roped into this?"

Harry had to hold in his laughter, otherwise, risk everyone who was quiet in the room to suddenly take interest in them. "Yeah, that's exactly what I meant. I mean, we both know why I'm stuck being here… but how did you manage to get so unlucky?"

Ginny's scowl deepened into something that looked quite fierce, and Harry found himself glad that he wasn't at the other end of her wand at the moment. Someone had sure managed to piss her off…

With a leap of his heart, he hoped that it was  _Dean_  that managed to get her so upset. Because if so, maybe Ginny would remember the promise she had made to Harry about reconsidering…

"It's all the bloody ferret's fault!" Ginny spat, quietly. And Harry only briefly felt a pang of disappointment that it wasn't Dean that had upset her... But then he basked in the notion that the girl that he fancied, hated the slimy ferret as well.

She hated his enemy... that was a good sign, right?

Harry tried not to smile, as he said, "I'm sorry to hear that you had the misfortune of running into the git... What exactly did Malfoy do?"

This question, for reasons unknown to Harry, caused Ginny to pause; seemingly coming up short of an answer, as she thought hard with a bite of her lip...

"I think... I think that Malfoy was  _hitting_  on me..." She finally said, her face looking just as confused as her voice sounded.

This shocked Harry for a split moment before jealousy and anger started to boil in the pit of his stomach. But he tried not to let it show... Ginny didn't deserve his sour attitude toward the situation.

But it now seemed to Harry that he and Malfoy had yet another thing to fight over now. And that would be the affections of Miss. Weasley.

Harry pushed down his negative feelings on the matter before he straightened in his seat and asked, "Did he, really?" Forcing his voice to sound awed and amused, "And what did you say?"

Ginny grinned evilly. "I didn't say much before I whipped out my wand and had bat bogies coming out of his nose... Then I let him have it with what I really thought of him."

Harry couldn't hold back his laughter this time. Clutching his sides, he bent over in his chair as he pictured the scenario.

Harry really had been worried about Malfoy for no reason, when regarding Ginny. She would never go for someone like  _Draco_.

Ginny laughed too, now amused by the situation that got her there in the first place. "He had been comparing Dean's blood status to mine, and after I showed him that I am not to be trifled with, Professor Slughorn came and praised me for my curse on the bugger... And that's how I wound up here."

"Well," Harry replied, now suddenly a bit shy, "I-I can see why he would be impressed by you... Y-you are pretty amazing... And so quick with your wand, too..."

There. Now she knew how much he admired her. It was the best he could do as of right then, short of confessing his feelings for her. Which, right then, Harry was sure wouldn't be received as he would hope.

Ginny, however, seemed shocked from his compliment. Did she really doubt her abilities that much? She certainly shouldn't. She was a natural, talented witch.

But then her features melted into awed gratitude. "Harry... Thank-you. Really. Coming from you... that seriously means a lot."

She smiled warmly at him, and Harry felt as though he could float to the moon, sans broom. He thought that he had crossed another vital bridge with Ginny. Sure, he had plenty more roads to travel to get where he needed to be, but Harry was patient.

He would wait for Ginny for as long as she was willing to make him wait.

"Especially, since you taught me how to perfect my wand technique last year in the D.A." Ginny continued, "You were probably the best teacher we had, besides Remus!"

Harry blushed under her praise but took it with a smile. He was suddenly very excited to tell her his news. "I was talking to Neville, earlier-"

"Oh! Good! They found you," Ginny briefly interrupted.

Harry smiled his gratitude at her, "Yeah, thanks for sending them. They got me out of a rather awkward situation." Ginny looked curious but didn't interrupt Harry as he quickly continued, not wanting to elaborate how he had been ambushed by a group of fourth-year girls... "So, Neville asked me if I was going to start up the D.A. again, and though at first, I was reluctant, I now see that it is a good idea."

Smiling wide, Ginny beamed with excitement. "Really, Harry?! That's brilliant!"

Harry nodded eagerly at her, glad to have made her happy about something he caused. "Yeah. I thought it best that we all use this time to train better. You know, with Voldemort out there, on the rise..."

Ginny's mood dampened as she nodded solemnly at him. "That's probably for the best..."

She didn't have time to say much else, though, as Professor Slughorn came through the door, levitating platters of food and drinks behind him.

"Now," Professor Slughorn professed, proudly, "Who would like to try some crystallized pineapple? It is simply a delight!"

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	11. Chapter 11

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Chapter Eleven

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Professor Slughorn's 'Slug Club' had been awkward, but definitely more bearable with Harry there to keep her company.

Throughout the entire luncheon, Slughorn would point out a random student and put them in the spotlight by asking them all sorts of questions.

It had been dull and boring and felt as though they had walked into a press conference.

But Harry would glance at her often, amusement gleaming in his green eyes, and a part of her would just...  _melt_.

Then she would immediately shake that feeling away, but then Harry would glance her way again and...

It was a vicious cycle.

One that made Ginny feel glad once they had finally been allowed to leave.

So, both her and Harry exited the big compartment as fast as they could, and that was what they were doing right then, walking down the aisle.

They were both chatting about how their first Slug Club meeting went, as they approached Dean's compartment.

"That would be the compartment that Dean is in," Ginny pointed out the compartment ahead of them to Harry.

Harry merely grunted in response, before he sighed, "Well, I guess that I'll-"

He cut off when they got in front of the compartment window, only to find the little room empty.

Ginny frowned. "That's weird. He said that he would meet me later..."

Turning to face her with a beaming smile, Harry replied in a rather frantic, excitable way, "Come sit with me! I'm sure that Ron and Hermione will be done with their prefect duties soon! And, well, you can find Dean later rather than sitting in an empty compartment by yourself..."

Ginny hesitated for a mere moment before she grinned wide and nodded. "That would be great, Harry, thanks!" She said, gratefully.

It wasn't long before they made it back to the compartment that Neville and Luna were in.

Harry opened the door with a dramatic flourish and gestured for her to enter before him. She was puzzled by his odd behavior but found it humorous, all the same.

As she walked into the compartment, Harry boasted loudly to their friends, "Well, there weren't any slugs at the party, but I  _did_  find a rare breed of  _Ginger Gryffindor_..."

Ginny snorted and hit him playfully in the stomach, which Harry grunted at, acting as though he were in pain.

"Being a 'Ginger Gryffindor' is hardly  _rare_..." Ginny jibed with a giggle as she sat down, Harry quickly sitting next to her on the bench. "Unless you had forgotten that I have six older brothers that were placed in Gryffindor, and  _all_  happen to have red hair."

She stuck her tongue out at Harry, and he chuckled, before turning her attention to Luna and Neville. "Hey, guys."

Luna smiled at her serenely, but Neville, to Ginny's amusement, was still avoiding looking at her in the eye, embarrassed as he was.

"Hello, Ginny," Luna greeted back to her, "Have you come to share your findings on the Bongdaloo seeds? Are they as effective as they seem?"

As Luna's face was lit with Ravenclaw intrigue, Harry's jovial face melted into confusion, as he turned curious eyes towards Ginny. "What's a Bongdaloo seed?"

Ginny felt herself redden. How was it that she always found herself in embarrassing situations involving Harry? "I-it's  _nothing_..."

Giving her a pointed look, Harry replied with a crossing of his arms, "Your cheeks tell a different story, Miss Weasley..."

Neville chose that moment to speak up, "Seriously, mate," He said to Harry, "You don't want-"

"It's what Ginny used to grow her chest," Luna chimed in, interrupting Neville's warning, "Surely you noticed the changes in Ginny, Harry. Unless you've gotten temporarily blinded by a Raku Bat, which the effects will last up to five years..."

A Weasley red flamed all over Harry's face, matching Ginny and Neville perfectly.

Then Neville stood abruptly, so quick that he almost tripped over himself to get to the door. "I've gotta go,  _er_...  _somewhere else_...  _eh_ , I mean, to find the food cart!"

And then he bolted out the door, and Luna stood to follow him – completely oblivious to the mortification that she caused in her friends. "I should really join him, I've wanted to try some  _Peppermint Pig Snouts_  for hours now..."

Then Luna left through the door, leaving behind the two blushing, silent Gryffindor students.

What exactly was there to say after something like that?

_Surely_ , Harry had noticed that she now had breasts! He had caught her in nothing but her  _bra_  for  _Merlin's sake_!

She sneaked a peek over at Harry through the corner of her eye, only to find him staring intently at the floor...

Well, he obviously wasn't going to say anything... So, it was up to Ginny.

"I,  _er_... I mean,  _uhh_ ,"  _Very smooth, Ginny_... "What I mean to say is that I-I didn't use the,  _uhh_... you know, to grow my,  _uhh_..."

" _Chest_...?" Harry offered, with a whisper. His eyes still avoided hers, staring at the empty bench in front of them.

Stunned at hearing him say anything at this time, it took her a moment to respond.

" _Yeah_ ," Ginny acquiesced, "So, we can just drop the whole matter, now that you know..."

Ginny wracked her brain, thinking of anything to say to change the subject. But it turned out that she didn't have to, as Harry finally seemed to have snapped out of his embarrassment just enough to offer a new topic of conversation.

"So, I hear that Gwenog Jones just recruited a new player..." Harry said, awkward at first, but his voice built the more that he spoke.

Ginny was shocked. A fact obvious by the widened look on her face.

"Y-you  _follow_  the  _Holyhead Harpies_?!" She asked, surprise and awe in her voice. Her embarrassment entirely forgotten.

Harry smirked, "What? Did you think that I was a fan of the Chudley Cannons? And what kind of crazy bloke would I be not to like to watch a Quidditch team full of fantastic, expert-playing  _women_?"

Ginny laughed uproariously at that, and Harry quickly joined in. "Tell that to my brother! Chudley Cannons... What a crock!"

It took them a while to settle down from their fits of laughter, and when they did, Ginny eagerly turned to him and leaned forward in her seat. "So, tell me all about the new recruit!"

And Harry did. He told her all about the new player that went by the nickname,  _'The Invisible Owl'_...

"You know, because she is apparently  _so_  fast, that she is invisible," Harry explained. "She's only a reserve chaser, now. But I'm guessing that she has a lot of promise, the way that Gwenog talks about her to the Prophet..."

Ginny nodded, intently interested. "That's the way that Gwenog works. She doesn't just let anyone on the team. They have to start out on the reserves... gotta prove themselves first."

Cocking his head, Harry studied her seriously for a long moment. Long enough for Ginny to twitch uncomfortably under his gaze. Which was  _too deep_ …  _too green_ …  _too beautiful_ … For some reason, she found them unbearable to look at for a long period of time.

"What?" She asked, self-conscious.

"Nothing," Harry reassured, finally blinking away the long look he had been giving her. "It's only that it seems as though you've studied a lot on how Gwenog handles her players, is all..."

Ginny flushed from his observation, finally understanding where his head had been. "You noticed that, huh?" She asked as she tucked a stray strand of her red hair behind her ear.

Harry merely nodded, an inquisitive look in his eye.

" _I just want_..." Ginny blurted, "I mean, I  _really_  think that I might be able to, that is..."

His lips pressed together in suppressing a smile. "You're not making any sense, Gin."

" _I just really want to play Quidditch_! " Ginny exclaimed, and flushed deeply at the desperation and volume of her voice, " _Professionally_ , that is..."

And then she waited for him to outright laugh in her face.

But he didn't laugh, instead, he stared at her appraisingly.

"Gin! You would be  _perfect_  for that!" Harry exclaimed, genuine excitement lit up in his eyes.

"Are you sur- I mean, do you  _really_  think so?" Ginny asked, relieved that he didn't find the idea ridiculous or even funny. She also felt honored that Harry, the youngest seeker in a century, thought that she had enough talent to go  _professional_.

Harry bobbed his head eagerly, "Absolutely! The way you played last year when you covered for me after my Quidditch ban... You were bloody brilliant!" The way that he said this to her, made her know for a fact that it was all true for him. That he wasn't just making up a lie to make her feel good for a short while.

He actually believed in her.

For once, she wasn't being coddled and treated like a little kid. Instead of telling her that professional Quidditch was too dangerous - like her entire family had done for her merely riding a broom while growing up - Harry was encouraging her! It meant more to her than he would ever know.

"Does this mean that I have a chance to make it on the Quidditch team this year, Captain?" She asked, with a hint in her voice and a shy smile.

Flabbergasted, Harry sputtered his reply, "Are you kidding?! I've already designed some plays with  _you_  specifically in mind, Gin!"

Ginny couldn't hold back her response to hearing this. It was as though her upper body leaped forward of its own accord, her arms went around his neck and wrapped Harry in a tight embrace.

He seemed to be stunned at the sudden contact, before he relaxed and wrapped his own arms around her back, constricting to bring her closer.

And it was at that moment, the compartment door opened with a  _loud_ bang.

The action was so abrupt and noisy, that they both couldn't help jumping back, startled.

"Get your  _hands_  off of  _my_  girlfriend,  _Potter_!"

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	12. Chapter 12

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_He seemed to be stunned at the sudden contact, before he relaxed and wrapped his own arms around her back, constricting to bring her closer._

_And it was at that moment, the compartment door opened with a loud bang._

_The action was so abrupt and noisy, that they both couldn't help jumping back, startled._

_"Get your hands off of my girlfriend, Potter!"_

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Chapter Twelve

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Ron was in a terribly, bad mood. It was bad enough that he had to go to a Prefects meeting so soon after he had woken up... But a group of third-year Slytherin students had decided that it would be funny to pick on a few first-year muggleborns by magically dumping buckets of  _mud_  over their heads!

Ron was seething... It had only just happened a moment ago, when Ron and Hermione came upon the scene. And one look at the sadness in Hermione's eyes at the mistreatment of her fellow muggleborns, had Ron in a right fury.

Ron wasn't as oblivious as others may think. He couldn't be an expert at chess without being able to notice a few things here and there.

And it was entirely obvious to Ron that Hermione was constantly trying to prove herself in a world that doesn't fully accept her... It was why she worked and studied so hard. So, it was in moments like these, with seeing the mud all over muggleborns, where Ron knew that it was a harsh reminder to Hermione that she would never be truly accepted anywhere.

Not in the Muggle World  _or_  the Wizarding World...

He had stopped himself many times already to ask if she was alright, knowing that she would dismiss his concerns entirely. And she wouldn't want his pity, anyways...

She was much too strong for that.

Yes... Ron was in a very sour mood. And to make matters even worse, they had already missed the food cart because they had to deal with the third-years! Now they both had to wait until after the sorting to finally eat!

Merlin help whoever decided to get on the wrong end of his wand at that moment.

"I think that those Slytherin students really learned their lesson..." Hermione chatted to fill the air, "After, a months' worth of detentions each with Professor McGonagall, I doubt that they would be willing to try something like that again."

She said it with an air of superiority, but Ron still knew where her real emotions lay... It was readily available for him to see in her eyes.

_Her beautiful, brown eyes._..

Ron shook himself, and decided that he needed to distract himself. Which usually came in the form of starting an argument with Hermione.

"Come off it, Hermione..." Ron countered. Arguing with Hermione was almost like playing chess. He made his move, and she would counter, and so on. He liked discussions and arguments with Hermione... But he would rather throw up slugs again than to ever admit it out loud. So, he steeled himself and readied for his counter-attack. "They're  _Slytherins_! Children of Death Eaters! If there were ever a chance for them to learn their lesson, it would have been when Harry vanquished  _You-Know-Who_  when he was a baby!"

Hermione sputtered indignantly, " _Ronald!_  You have to learn to at least give them a chance to-"

" _Get your hands off of my girlfriend, Potter_!" A loud voice yelled at the opposite end of the train car.

Both Ron and Hermione looked up to find that it was Dean, standing in the door of a compartment, that had yelled.

The lingering students started to gather closer, wanting to hear what all of the commotion was about.

"What's your  _problem_?" They heard Ginny's annoyed voice float from within the compartment, "It was only a  _hug_ , Dean..."

"My problem is that it's you that  _Potter_  was hugging!" Dean countered, anger evident in his glare.

Quickly realizing what was going on, both Ron and Hermione tried to get their way through the growing crowd of students coming out of the compartments.

Hermione, heading to go do some damage control, no doubt. But Ron... He was pretty sure that he was gearing up to defend his sister's honor... and he was pretty sure  _who_  was going to end up at the other end of his wand.

"Don't be  _ridiculous_ , Dean!" Ginny exclaimed, her annoyance quickly turning into her famous fiery, red temper. " _I'm_  the one that hugged Harry! He just offered me a position on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, is all, and I was excited and grateful! It doesn't mean anything...!"

Ron and Hermione were having a difficult time of things with getting around all of the students. With Ron trying to shove his way through, and Hermione politely saying, " _Excuse me, Prefects coming through. Please go back into your compartments_." Over and over…

No one listened to her.

Dean sneered. "You have a  _funny_  way of showing your  _gratitude_!"

Ron whipped his wand out fast, grabbed at the collar of Dean's shirt, and pointed his wand in his face.

" _What_  did you say to my  _sister_ ,  _Thomas_?!" Ron thundered, an angry redness creeping up his neck towards his cheeks. "Because it sounds to me that you were implying that my sister was some sort of  _slag_... Which you better  _hope_  is a  _misunderstanding_  on my part, you  _prat_!"

Ron jabbed his wand into the other boy's nose with each emphasized word that he spoke, and a large part of him was proud to see the look of horror on Dean's face. A thin sheen of sweat gathered at the top of his brow as his eyes crossed to look at the wand sticking him in the nose.

" _Ron_!" Ginny exclaimed, and Ron shifted his eyes towards her, he realized that she was embarrassed by the situation. Which was right barmy to him! He was only trying to protect her! She should be grateful!

"Stop it,  _please_! Ju-just let him go!" Ginny stared at him imploringly, her eyes begging him to listen. But Ron now directed his glare at her.

"I'm only keeping your so-called  _boyfriend_  in line!" Ron argued, "Which I shouldn't even have to do! He should be respecting you all on his own!"

"Ron..." Hermione hissed softly next to him, and Ron turned his gaze to her now, his hard eyes softening of their own accord. "Just do what she says... Let him go. Fighting him won't solve anything, it will only make things worse."

As hard as he tried, Ron couldn't explain away that logic... and it was difficult for him to go against Hermione. Sure, they argued, but he always did what she said in the end. They were a team. Along with Harry. And they all listened to one another.

So, with a heavy sigh, he loosened his tight grip on Deans shirt, which was now heavily wrinkled, and lowered his wand.

"Consider yourself lucky, Thomas..." Ron muttered, sourly.

Dean, on his part seemed baffled by what happened, but then his demeanor turned stiff and he said to Ginny, without even looking at her, " _Let's go, Ginny_."

...

Harry had been astounded by what had just happened. But one thing he knew for certain, was that he had to stop himself from outright cheering when Ron jabbed his wand in Dean's face.

But he found himself angry all over again when Dean practically  _ordered_ Ginny to leave with him.

Apparently, Ginny wasn't all that fond of his attitude either...

"No." She said, sternly, "I think that you need to be alone for now, Dean. I'm going to ride the rest of the way here."

Dean opened his mouth, now finally looking at Ginny, looking ready to argue.

" _Just go_ ," Ginny stressed, now looking thoroughly worn and tired, "We will talk about this later..."

Dean sighed in defeat and nodded, before turning a hateful glare at Harry.

Again, Harry had to contain his excitement at the turn of events. He felt the urge to jump up and down, grab Ginny for a dance, or even kiss her to celebrate! But he settled for just smirking smugly at Dean.

Dean glared harder at that, before he huffed and strode away. " _Fine!_ "

And then he was finally gone. Harry settled back in his seat, relaxing in the seat next to Ginny. Who, Harry noted, would be sitting next to him for the  _rest of the train ride_!

Sure, Ron and Hermione would sit with them too, but Ginny was right next to him! His whole body was acutely aware of this fact.

"What are you all  _bloody_  looking at!" Ron yelled at the crowd, before he slammed the compartment door behind him and Hermione. He strode over to the bench opposite of Harry and Ginny, and roughly threw himself down on it. "Your boyfriend is a prat, Ginevra Weasley."

But Ginny chose not to answer. Instead she brought her knees up on the seat and hugged her arms around them, looking distinctly out the window.

Hermione walked slowly forward then, and kneeled on the floor before Ginny. "Gin?" She asked, quietly.

Ginny turned her face further away. "Not now, Mione.  _Please_."

They all stared at Ginny's prone form, before Hermione sighed and got up to sit next to Ron.

Harry had been disappointed to see that Ginny didn't say much after that... Eventually, when Neville and Luna had rejoined them, she had said hello to them.

But they all mostly left her alone. Which saddened and gave Harry hope all at the same time.

Sure, he wanted to spend this time talking to Ginny, but he hoped that she was using this time to think about her promise of reconsidering her relationship with Dean, after he had acted like a total prat!

After all, the hug that Ginny had given him was purely innocent...  _to her_. For  _him_ , on the other hand, it was less innocent and more of, well... a huge  _turn-on_.

To have her there, pressed so close to him... He couldn't believe how right it felt. How well they fit together. He could only hope that Ginny felt the same way that he did from their embrace, even if it were just an inkling of what she had felt before for him.

Right then, with seeing Ginny so quiet and sad, he wanted more than anything to reach out and tug her close to his side. Protecting her from everything negative in the world. Including Dean.

He hoped that she would realize that she had options and that she doesn't have to be with someone who won't let her spend time with her friends and other people. Harry reasoned that jealousy was an acceptable emotion to have, so long as it was kept under control. And didn't hurt the person they loved in the process.

So, it was for the rest of the Express ride that Ginny would sit quietly, while Harry peaked at her through the corner of his eyes.

It wasn't long before they were approaching Hogwarts and had to change into their school robes. When the train stopped, Ginny seemed rather distracted as she stood to leave the compartment. And as she stood, Harry noticed a purple, fluff ball left behind on the seat next to where Ginny sat.

He suddenly remembered that this was the Pygmy Puff that Ginny had bought from Fred and George's shop.

Quickly scooping up the fur ball, as well as his own stuff, Harry ran out of the compartment after her. But she was no longer in the hall. Jumping off the first exit of the train, Harry stretched up on his toes, trying to find any trace of her fiery red hair.

"Harry, what are you-" Ron had tried to say behind him, but it was at that moment that Harry had spotted Ginny up ahead, waiting in line for a carriage. Harry bolted for her, weaving in-between students, leaving Ron and Hermione behind.

" _Ginny!_ " He called, for some reason he was frantic. " _Wait_ , Ginny!"

Ginny was just about to board a carriage, when he called for her and turned. Other students took advantage of her distraction and boarded ahead of her. Harry was annoyed to noticed how some of the other boys whispered to one another as they stared leeringly at her.

Harry quickly caught up with her and thrust forward her Pygmy Puff. "You forgot him."

Ginny looked surprised for a mere moment, before she exclaimed, " _Arnold!_ " She quickly took him from Harry's hands, it squeaked from being transferred from one hand into another, "I'm so sorry that I forgot you...!"

Then she looked up at Harry and her eyes didn't seem as sad anymore as she smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks, Harry."

Harry smiled back and nodded eagerly in return. "It's no problem. Fancy if I join you on the carriage ride?"

Ginny smiled sweetly and nodded, "Sure!" Then a grimace grew on her face, "I'm sorry I was so boring for the rest of the train ride... I just wasn't in the mood to chat after what happened with Dean..."

Harry waved off her apology, as they both boarded a carriage together. "Don't be sorry! It's not your fault. You aren't responsible for his actions."

Hope, real  _hope_ , started to blossom in his chest. He really didn't think that it would be this easy to tear Ginny and Dean apart. Dean was cursing himself in his own toe... and if he kept it up, then it wouldn't be long until Ginny was single again. And Harry could swoop in and make her single no longer after that.

Harry smiled at the thought. The only downside he had about all of this was trying to find a way to break it to Ron... but he also reasoned that Ron would rather Ginny get away from Dean more than anything. So much so, that he wouldn't care as much that it was Harry stealing her away from the git that did the trick.

On the ride up to the castle, Harry and Ginny talked over various things. Like Quidditch, the Holyhead Harpies, chocolate frogs and treacle tarts, as well as when the first Hogsmeade trip would be arranged.

Harry was almost tempted to ask her to spend the first Hogsmeade with him, but knew that at that moment, she would probably say no.

He had to take his time, space every baby step accordingly, to ultimately win her heart back.

As they exited the carriage in front of the large, Hogwarts doors, Ron and Hermione found them, and they all entered the castle and made their way to the Great Hall for the sorting.

As they sat together at the long, Gryffindor table, Harry making sure that he got his seat next to Ginny, Ginny had asked Ron and Hermione how their Prefect duties went.

Harry relaxed back in his seat as Hermione rambled on about the details of the meeting, and the events that they were planning for the year.

Ginny looked thoughtful as Hermione described that they had all thrown in ideas for a 'Hogwarts Unity Day,' where all of Hogwarts would spend the day learning about all of the other houses, and what makes each great.

"That's a good idea and all, Hermione, but you've all got to add a little fun into it, don't you? Otherwise people won't really want to participate, will they?" Ginny said, and Hermione gave her an expression that looked like a frazzled raisin to Harry.

"What exactly do you have in mind? Learning new things about each house seems fun to me..."

She cut off at Ron's snort of amused indignation. And was about to turn to him to tell him off, when Ginny quickly intervened before they started to argue. "Well, why don't you throw a ball at the end of the day? You can call it,  _'Hogwarts Unity Ball'_."

Hermione smiled wide at Ginny, "That's a good idea! I'll bring it up at the next Prefects meeting!"

Ron audibly groaned aloud, "Not another  _bloody_  ball! The last one was bad enough!"

Sneering, Ginny glared at her brother – obviously still annoyed at him from embarrassing her in front of a whole train car of students – and replied, "Oh, do shut it, Ronald! If you aren't careful, I'll get mum to buy you dress-robes like you wore for the last ball… but if you aren't on Hermione's case about it, then maybe I can convince her to get normal, black dress-robes for you." She smirked deviously at her brother, and Harry had to hold back a snort at how well she could back Ron into a corner. "It's your choice…"

Ron swallowed heavily and quickly replied, "A-A ball sounds like a good idea."

Nodding with finality, Ginny replied, "That's what I thought."

It was then that Professor Dumbledore walked into the Great Hall and sat down at the head table. Everyone was commenting quietly about his black, shriveled hand… and Harry found himself, once again, curious about it himself. But knew that the Professor wouldn't tell him about it.

It was then that Harry caught Professor Dumbledore's eye, and the old wizard winked at him, a secretive twinkle in his eye, and Harry smiled back cordially at his mentor.

Ron leaned forward, across the table, and quietly hissed, " _When was it that you were going to start those private lessons with Professor Dumbledore_?"

Hermione gasped, and hit him on the shoulder. " _Don't talk about that here_!"

But Harry merely shrugged and replied, "Don't know."

Professor McGonagall came in through the double doors then, leading all of the awed and frightened first-years that stared all around them with a sense of anticipation.

Harry zoned out of the sorting, robotically clapping when the hat added another Gryffindor to their numbers. He was too lost in his thoughts. There was so much that he had to do this year, and he had forgotten, for a while, that he even  _had_ private lessons with Dumbledore… His mind had been too occupied with trying to find ways to get his girl… And Harry suddenly felt guilty. He should really be more focused on training and defeating Voldemort.

But as Harry glanced sideways at Ginny, his heart melted, and he couldn't even begin to imagine giving her up.

The sorting ended, with the last first-year joining his place with the Ravenclaw table, and Dumbledore stood.

"A few announcements before we eat, as always the Forbidden Forest is just that, Forbidden. And consequences will be severe whether you return from a trip there, or not," Dumbledore chuckled as though he said a very funny joke, and left the hall of students at a loss of how to respond to such a statement. "Mr. Filch would like me to remind you of his list of banned items, which is posted on the outside of his door, and would like to add Wizzing Frisbees from the joke shop known as Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

"Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. And captains of each house will decide upon when tryouts will be, as well as who is chosen. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, if any believe that they are befitting to the role.

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year. Professor Slughorn." Slughorn stood up, his bald head gleaming in the candlelight, and his big waist-coated belly casting the table into shadow, "He is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

" _Potions_?"

" _Potions_?"

The word echoed all over the Hall as people wondered whether they had heard right.

" _Potions_?" Ron, Hermione, and Ginny said together, turning questioning eyes to Harry. "But you said -"

" _Professor Snape_ , meanwhile," said Dumbledore, raising voice so that it carried over all the muttering, "Will be taking the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

" _No_!" said Harry, so loudly that many heads turned in his direction. He did not care; he was staring up at the staff table, incensed. How could Snape be given the Defense Against the Dark Arts job after all this time? Hadn't it been widely known for years that Dumbledore did not trust him to do it?

"But Harry, you said that Slughorn was going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts!" said Hermione.

"I thought he was!" said Harry, racking his brain to remember when Dumbledore had told him this, but now that he came to think of it, he was unable to recall Dumbledore ever telling him what Slughorn would be teaching.

Snape, who was sitting on Dumbledore's right, did not stand up his mention of his name; he merely raised a hand in lazy acknowledgment of the applause from the Slytherin table, yet Harry was sure he could detect a look of triumph on the features he loathed so much.

"Well, there's one good thing," He said savagely. "Snape'll be gone by the end of the year."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, and Harry looked at her, a cute pucker of confusion was in-between her brows. He wanted more than anything to smooth it over with his fingers or to kiss it away. To reassure her that Snape wasn't teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts… But he could hardly reassure himself.

"That job's jinxed. No one's lasted more than a year... Quirrell actually died doing it... Personally, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for another death... "

" _Harry_!" Hermione said, shocked and reproachful.

"I didn't know that there was a curse on the position…" Ginny said, a thoughtful gleam in her eye, "But I suppose it makes sense, seeing as we have a new DADA teacher every term."

Harry had been about to reply to her, when Dumbledore cleared his throat. They weren't the only ones who had been talking; the whole Hall had erupted in a buzz of conversation at the news that Snape had finally achieved his heart's desire. Seemingly oblivious to the sensational nature of the news he had just imparted, Dumbledore said nothing more about staff appointments, but waited a few seconds to ensure that the silence was absolute before continuing.

It was then that Dumbledore went on about Voldemort and his followers. About how dangerous these times were, and that they all had to ban together in such troubling times. It hit Harry even more, that this, perhaps, wasn't the time to pursue Ginny when there were more important things to worry about… Like, making sure that Ginny and all of her family survived the looming war.

"But now, you all have to be as hungry as I am! So, tuck in!" And with that, Dumbledore sat with a flourish, and the platters of food appeared on all of the tables. Harry could have sworn that he heard Ron's stomach growl loudly over the chatter of the hall, as he almost lunged for some brisket to devour.

As Harry stared at the delicious food on the table, he suddenly found himself without an appetite. Feeling quite sullen as he weighed both his responsibility and his heart.

It was about a minute later when he still hadn't touched a bit of food, that Ginny reached over and grabbed his hand under the table.

Harry's heart nearly leaped out of his chest and the feeling of her palm cupping his. His palm started to sweat excessively, and a part of him worried about if she noticed.

Ginny didn't react as though she didn't notice anything about his reaction to her hand in his. Instead she merely leaned over and whispered close in his ear, her warm breath sent shivers down his spine as well as tickled the little hairs on his ears. "Harry, I know that you are thinking about the prophecy, and that you should bear this burden alone…"  _How did she know_? "…but just know that you have all of your friends, and we are here to help you whenever you need."

Harry's throat tightened, and his eyes started to sting. " _Thanks, Gin_." Harry whispered back, and he squeezed her hand in his, marveling at how right it felt to hold, before she released her hand from his grip and continue eating.

Rather dazed at what just happened, Harry robotically started to dish up his plate and eat the delicious food before it disappeared.

"Mr. Potter?" Harry jumped from the voice that came from behind him, and turned to see Professor McGonagall looking down at him.

"Oh! Hello, Professor," Harry said, surprised, "How are you?"

She waved his greeting away. "I'm fine, Potter, fine. I trust that you had a good summer as well?" Harry nodded slowly, wondering why she was there. She must have seen the question in his eyes, because she went on to say, "Professor Dumbledore asked me to give you this, Potter."

She thrust forward a note and Harry took it. "Thanks."

McGonagall nodded, and her stiff upper lip melted into what looked to be a small, secretive smile directed at him… before it went back to normal and she turned towards the head table and walked away.

Harry stared down at the note in his hand, before unfolding the bent and creased parchment paper, and began to read the slanted writing that he recognized as Dumbledore's.

"What's it say, mate?" Ron asked, impatiently. For once, his food forgotten.

Harry finished reading and folded the note back up. "It said that he wants to meet me at the end of the feast in his office."

All three pairs of eyes bugged out at that news. "He wants to start your training  _tonight_?!" Hermione exclaimed, surprised.

Harry shrugged. "Doubt it, he probably only wants to go over what he plans to teach me this year. And..."

He trailed off as another presence came to join them, taking the liberty of sitting on the other side of Ginny. They all stared at the newcomer, and he fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Hey, Ginny." Dean said quietly, in a sad, embarrassed tone. Harry wondered if it was all an act just to get forgiveness. "Is it 'later' yet?"

Ginny looked at him for a long moment before she sighed and said, "I suppose. I'll meet you after the feast..."

Dean let out a heavy sigh, looking extremely grateful. "Thanks, Ginny. I'll be right outside the great hall."

Ginny nodded, demurely, and Dean got up and left.

Harry was shocked... He couldn't understand why Ginny was willing to give the  _prat_  the time of day... But a part of him mused over if Ginny would use to time to break things off with Dean. He was almost tempted to outright as her, when Dumbledore announced that it was time for all of them to head up to bed.

They all stood together and walked towards the double doors to exit the hall. Prefects, including Ron and Hermione, started to lead first-years up to their dorms.

Harry and Ginny walked together, but when they finally got through the doors, Dean was already waiting for her.

Ginny turned to him with a small smile. "See you, later Harry." She was about to walk away, but turned back and quietly said, "Let me know how the meeting with Dumbledore goes."

And then she winked at him, leaving him breathless, and she and Dean went off together. But not before Dean sent him the stink eye over Ginny's head.

Harry glared right back at him, thinking, 'The git is about to get all that he deserves when Ginny gets through with him...'

Then Harry sauntered off in the opposite direction of his fellow Gryffindors, making his way to Dumbledore's office.

When he reached the giant gargoyles, Harry recited the password that had been in the note, and the winding staircase appeared. He made his way up them and just before he had been about to knock...

"Come in, Harry." Dumbledore said through the door from the other room.

Harry entered without hesitation and was met with the familiar sight of a circular room full of magical instruments and portraits of former headmasters.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" Harry asked.

"Yes, yes. Come in, Harry, and please take a seat. We might as well get comfortable." Dumbledore replied.

Harry did as he was told, and sat. Dumbledore offered him a lemon drop, by gesturing with the bowl, but Harry declined, knowing that they were spiked with a calming drought and didn't like his emotions being tampered with.

"What did you want to discuss, Professor?" Harry asked, sitting stiffly in his chair.

Professor Dumbledore sat back in his chair, however, and folded his hands over his stomach. "I wanted to discuss your schedule this year, Harry."

Harry relaxed in his chair, "Oh... That's it?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in amusement. "But of course! What else had you expected?"

Pondering for a moment, Harry replied, "There wouldn't happen to be a secret chamber under the Boy's bathroom, would there?"

Chuckling, Dumbledore said, "Not to my knowledge, no Harry. But there have been a few moments where I have been surprised. Many of those instances involve you."

Unsure of how to take that, Harry decided to change the subject. "Speaking of my schedule, sir, I wanted to ask you permission to start up Dumbledore's Army again this year."

And an actual look of surprise dawned the Professor's face. "Whatever for, Harry?" His aged face melting into curiosity.

Swallowing, Harry replied, "I just feel that I shouldn't be the only one with extra training this year... It's like you said at the sorting feast during your announcements. Voldemort is out there, and we all need to get ready."

Dumbledore stated at him for a long moment, long enough for Harry to fidget in his seat, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. Before a smile grew slowly on his lips. "I must say, Harry, that it a very mature, thought-out decision you've made. And if you don't mind my saying so, I must express how proud I am of you and the man you are turning into. And I know that your parents and Sirius must feel the same."

A lump formed in his throat that Harry couldn't quite swallow, and his eyes pricked with unshed tears that glistened in his eyes. "Thank-you, sir. Th-that really means a lot." And he gave him a sad, watery smile.

Dumbledore returned his smile fondly, and said, "You have my permission to start the D.A. whenever you want. And of course, any professor, including myself, will be available as chaperones if you see fit or if you have any questions."

Harry nodded, "Thank you, sir."

"Now, we are going to try and aim for your private lessons on Wednesdays. And if that needs to be postponed, we will try for a different day that week. Your lessons will take place two hours before curfew, so you may plan time for Quidditch practice, the D.A., as well as your studies any time before then." Dumbledore said, and hearing it all listed out like that, made Harry's head spin. How could he fit Ginny into a schedule like that?

Harry nodded robotically in reply. And Dumbledore paused and studied him. But Harry didn't seem to notice this time, instead he was sullenly staring at his hands in his lap.

"You seem to be out of sorts, Harry." Dumbledore observed out loud.

This shook Harry out of his thoughts. "Wh-what? Oh, no, sir. Just tired, is all."

Dumbledore pursed his lips as he mused, "This wouldn't have anything regarding Miss. Weasley, would it?"

Sputtering, Harry started a fit of coughing and almost choked. Finally, after a moment, when he caught his breath, Harry exclaimed, " _How did you know_?!"

Chuckling, Dumbledore said, "Why, Harry, one does not become such a powerful wizard as myself without knowing things that people would otherwise keep secret..."

Harry only stared at him in confused horror.

"...And it was rather obvious at the sorting feast. Just from observing you, I've noticed that you couldn't let your eyes stray from her for long."

Harry gasped. " _Was it really that obvious_?!"

"Only to the observant eye..." Dumbledore reasoned. "But may I ask what seems to be the problem?"

Defeated, Harry slumped into his chair with a heavy sigh, and covered his eyes with his hands. "It was just a thought that I had as you were listing what my schedule would be like this year… And it had me wondering if I would even have time for pursuing Ginny, when there are more important things that I could be focusing on..."

With sad eyes, Dumbledore watched him, one hand coming up to stroke the beard at his chin. And Harry just knew that this was the moment that Dumbledore was going to tell him that he would have to forget about Ginny... In fact, Harry felt himself tensing from bracing himself from the disappointment. And his hands fisted at the edges of the chair and he glared at his lap.

"My dear boy..." Dumbledore spoke, slowly, "Why would you ever think that?"

Harry's head snapped up, shocked. " _Wh-what_?"

Dumbledore folded his hands once again. "Would you like my advice, Harry?" Harry nodded, and Dumbledore continued, "Do you remember last spring, when Voldemort possessed you in the Department of Mysteries?"

Harry nodded once again, unsure of where the Headmaster was going with this.

"As Voldemort was possessing you, he wanted me to kill you, as that would have been the only way for you to be free from his parasitic mind. But I had no need to do anything. Because though your mind was trapped away at the time, it was your heart that freed you. Do you remember, Harry?"

"You said it was love," Harry recalled, "That my ability to love is what hurt Voldemort so much. You said that it was  _'the power he knew not'_  from the prophecy..."

Dumbledore smiled wide, "Exactly, Harry, exactly."

Harry only stared at him, confused at what the point of going down memory lane was and how it could possibly help him with Ginny. Dumbledore chuckled, "Harry, do you not see? It is essential for you to have love in your life and in your heart in order to have the power to defeat Voldemort."

It took Harry a second before a smile started to grow on his face. "Are you saying that it a part of my  _training_  to pursue Ginny Weasley?"

Chuckling, Dumbledore replied, "I shall assign it as homework."

...

Harry left down the winding staircase from Dumbledore's office, only to find someone waiting for him.

It was Ron, looking rather sullen. "What's up, mate?" Harry asked him.

"Ah, it's nothing." Ron quickly waved off his concern, and they both started to walk back to Gryffindor tower. "Hermione and I just got into another argument is all..."

Harry frowned at his friend before a mischievous smirk graced his lips. "I should really just lock the two of you into a broom closet, so you can snog it out..."

A violent coughing fit took over Ron before he finally sputtered, " _What_?! Hermione and I don't want to... That is  _bloody mad_ , that is!"

Harry had to keep himself from laughing. "Come off it, Ron! I know the two of you like each other!"

Even in the dark, Harry knew that Ron's face was a Weasley red. "No we don... Do you really think that Hermione likes me?"

Harry nodded amused, "Well, it is rather obvious, isn't it? Well, at least to people who don't have such a thick head." Harry knocked his knuckle on Ron's head lightly for emphasis, and Ron pushed his hand away.

"I don't really think that-" Ron was cut off from what he was saying by a long, guttural moan coming from behind a tapestry.

Ron and Harry looked at each other inquisitively, before turning towards the tapestry.

Ron lifted the edge, and they both looked behind...

" _GINNY_!" Ron exclaimed, aghast.

Harry felt his heart freeze in his chest and fall to the bottom of his stomach. He had thought that he was heartbroken before when he found out that Ginny wasn't available. But that was nothing compared to how it felt to see her up against the wall, with Dean aggressively kissing her... His hands bunching the fabric of her shirt at his waist... Her arms wrapped around his neck... kissing him back.

They jumped apart, however, when Ron called her name. Ginny looked a bit embarrassed, but Dean... when Dean saw that Harry had caught them, he flashed him self-satisfied smirk that made Harry's blood boil.

" _Ginny_!" Ron yelled again, " _WHAT_  the  _bloody HELL_  do you think you are  _doing_?!"

Harry had seen Ron angry before, but never like this. This anger in Ron had a sort of edge in it that Harry had never noticed before. But he knew what it was that Ron was feeling. Harry felt the exact same... But obviously for different reasons than Ron. He wanted nothing more than to step forward, force the two apart and take Ginny into his arms and never let her go...

"What does it look like, Ron? I was kissing my boyfriend." Ginny replied, her own voice carrying an edge. Harry almost hated that even though he was so angry, that he couldn't help but notice that Ginny looked sexy when her temper got up.

Before Ron could open his mouth to retort, Ginny said in a snarky tone, "You're just jealous that I have someone to kiss and you don't."

This staggered Ron, and actually caused him to take a step back, flabbergasted. "Wh-what?"

Ginny glared with her smirk, and Harry thought that it wasn't an appealing look for her gorgeous face. Ginny was so much kinder than the expression she wore on her face right then. "Oh, sure. I've kissed Dean, Hermione had kissed Krum, and Harry had Cho..." Harry tried not to flinch at the last one, "And that leaves you, alone. Taking out your jealousy on people who actually have someone."

They stood in shock as they stared at her. Harry couldn't believe that this was Ginny saying these things. He turned his head towards Ron and saw a look of hurt on his face, before he turned and walked down the hall, his head down and not looking back.

Harry watched him leave, and turned his attention back to Ginny, who still looked smug. And Harry was left feeling... disappointed.

"That wasn't nice..." He said, quietly. His tone perfectly implying how he felt.

He watched as the smugness melted off of Ginny's face, twisting into a form of regret.

"Bugger off,  _Potter_. This has nothing to do with you." Dean said harshly, his face still self-satisfied.

Harry did just that, and turned to leave.

"Harry,  _wait_ , I-"

"Don't be out past curfew." Harry cut off her quiet apologetic voice, fighting to not meet her eyes. Because it ashamed Harry that all he had to do was look once into her sad eyes, and he let the entire matter be forgotten.

So, he didn't look. Because Ron needed his best mate to be strong for him.

He started to walk away, down the hall. Ginny called his name once more, asking for him to come back. But he took his invisibility cloak out of his pocket and draped it over his head. Just so that she couldn't run after him.

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	13. Chapter 13

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Chapter Thirteen

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When Harry got to the dorm room, it was to find that Ron was already in his bed, his bed hangings closed tightly shut.

He had taken a bit of a detour under his invisibility cloak, to try and walk off his own anger and frustrations. He had been out for longer than he had intended.

Glancing towards Dean's bunk, Harry was relieved to see it occupied. It was better that he still wasn't with Ginny.

"Ron? Are you still awake, mate?" He whispered.

He got no response, and quickly changed and got into his bed. Falling into a troubled sleep.

.…...

Ginny lay awake very early in the morning, still feeling dreadful for what she had said to Ron the night before...

She still couldn't believe how she had lost her temper like that! Ron had barely said anything to her and she went off on his insecurities.

It was just that the day before had been so grating on her nerves the entire day... People were treating her differently, she had noticed.

First there was Dean and Seamus when she first saw them on the train... They had stared at her as though they were goldfish! And then Dean was acting all jealous of Harry when he had found out that Harry had spent the summer, which was irritating...

Then, Draco had come along and started hitting on her! In a very creepy and infuriating way, might she add...

Then she had to go and join that stupid Slug Club when she didn't even want to!

Then just when she had finally had a nice, happy moment with Harry when he had told her that she was already on the Gryffindor Quidditch team; Dean had to come along to accuse and berate her because of his jealousy.

Then Ron had to come along and threatened her boyfriend in front of EVERYONE!

Then after the feast, she had forgiven Dean - because he was sincerely sorry - they just had to be caught snogging behind a tapestry by none other than her brother and Harry Potter... of all the people!

She knew that Ron had been about to go off on her, and the thought had caused her to snap after having an already stressful day...

She now regretted her words greatly towards Ron. The look that he had on his face as he had walked away was still clear in the forefront of her mind.

Then there was Harry... Who was really her saving grace for the entire day. And the disappointment on his face from the night before was branded into her mind.

What right did she have to lose her temper and go off on people for having a bad day, when Harry had so many bad things happen in his life? And yet, he still remained hopeful... strong.

She groaned and threw her pillow over her face. She really had acted like a cad... and she would make sure to apologize. At the first opportunity that she got.

Deciding that it was pointless to stay in bed, Ginny threw off her covers and stripped off her pajama pants and shirt. The proceeded to dress in her uniform for the day.

When she got down to the common room, it was mostly empty except for the few early birds...

But her eye caught on a friend she hadn't yet had the chance to talk to. And she went and sat next to him on the couch, where he was fiddling with his camera.

"Hi, Collin!" Ginny beamed, feeling happy for the first time that morning.

Collin looked over at her with a smile. "Hi, Ginny." Then he gave her a once-over and gave a dramatic whistle. "When did you get hot?"

This took Ginny aback, not really comprehending the sudden, unexpected compliment. "What do you mean?"

Though Collin had never said anything about it to her, she always suspected that he was gay... With the way he was obsessed with Harry, and had a certain look in his eyes when she caught him looking at boys.

"Have you not had a chance to look in a mirror, yet, Ginny?" Collin asked with raised eyebrows. When she still didn't respond, just as confused as ever, Collin sighed dramatically, "Surely you must have noticed..."

And his head gestured at two fourth-year Gryffindor boys who were looking at her with odd expressions on their faces.

Collin chuckled, "They are currently fantasizing about you, Ginny..."

A violent coughing fit overtook her, and the two boys snapped out of their trances and looked as though they wanted to come over and help. But they didn't as soon and she had calmed down, and sputtering, she managed to choke out to Collin, "Th-That's disgusting!"

Collin smirked. "Doesn't make it any less true..."

Ginny rolled her eyes and stood again. "Let me know when you stop having delusions..."

Collin laughed uproariously, "I could say the same about you!"

It was then that she caught the sight of Harry walking down the stairs from the boys dormitories, making his way towards the exit. He looked glum, as though he hadn't had much more sleep than she did...

"See you later, Collin." She said, distractedly, before making her way towards Harry. She didn't hear Collin's reply.

"Harry...?" She called, timid hesitation in her voice.

Harry froze in front the fat lady's portrait, half open with one of his feet out of the hole. He didn't turn around.

"Are you in, or are you out, Mr. Potter?" The Fat lady scolded, and it broke Harry from his frozen state, and he continued on, closing the portrait.

Ginny groaned out in exasperation, and quickly followed him out, slamming the portrait door behind her, as the Fat Lady yelled at her from behind about rudeness.

"Harry!" She called, running up to him.

He still didn't turn around, as he picked up the pace of his stride. But he was still walking as she was running and she easily caught up to him.

"Harry, wait." She reached out her hand and grabbed his, making him stop.

Heat shot up her arm, starting from where her hand touched his. It was the same sensation she had felt when she took his hand at the feast the night before...

Harry froze at the contact and finally turned wide eyes to hers, before his eyes creeped down to observe their connected hands...

Ginny flushed and quickly dropped his hand, as though she were burned. "Sorry..." She said, sheepishly.

Harry shook his head quickly. "Don't be."

He looked down at his shuffling feet, and Ginny took a moment to study him. He looked so tired, judging by the dark circles under his eyes... She wondered if he had another nightmare about Voldemort. And if he had, would he still trust her enough to tell her about it? Or had she disappointed him last night so much, that she forever lost the right to knowing any of his secrets...?

"I'm sorry," She said again.

Harry looked up at her inquisitively, with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk. "You said that already."

Ginny felt herself relaxing at his smile, even if it was only a small one.

"I know," She smiled tentatively back at him, "I'm apologizing for last night..."

His smile disappeared from the mention of the night before, and somehow, Ginny felt horrible for even bringing it up... even if it was to apologize.

"Did you apologize to Ron?" Harry asked.

Ginny bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "I hadn't seen him yet. But I plan to as soon as I do..."

Harry watched her in a way that made Ginny think that he was assessing if she was serious or not.

Then, miraculously, he smiled. Not a small one, either. A wide, accepting smile. And she found herself grinning back, feeling better than she had been since last night.

"I forgive you," Harry said, "Not that there was really much to forgive from my end, but I still know a way that you could make it up to me..."

He said this teasingly, but his eyes were uncertain. Which was odd to Ginny.

"Name it."

"Spend breakfast with me?" Harry asked, hesitantly.

Rolling her eyes, Ginny replied, saucily, "I was under the impression that I already was..."

Going along with her mood, Harry replied, teasingly, "Fine, then."

Then he offered her his arm. "It would do me the tremendous honor if you would allow me to escort you to breakfast." He said in an overly posh accent.

Ginny couldn't help herself... He had her giggling from his antics, and she found herself easily accepting his arm with her own. Heat traveled up her arm again where it touched his.

Something her mind wasn't yet comfortable questioning.

"The pleasure would be my own, good sir."

And they both strutted forward, backs pin-straight, and noses very high in the air. Ginny thought that they would have at least made Umbridge somewhat proud with their prim and proper behavior.

...

Harry couldn't suppress the smile on his face as he sat at the Gryffindor table next to Ginny.

They had gotten there early, so they had a little bit of time to themselves to talk about things.

Harry had to admit, though, that it was really nice to have settled things with Ginny. And the way that she had grabbed his hand... it was as though sparks shot up his arm.

His heart skipped a beat and his fingers twitched with desire to grab her hand again.

"So, did you start your training with Dumbledore last night, Harry?" Ginny asked, after she bit into a piece of toast with jam, talking as she covered her mouth with her hand.

Harry shook his head as he cut up pieces of his breakfast sausage. "No. He only wanted to talk to me about my schedule for this year." He speared a bit of sausage with egg with his fork, popped it into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. When he swallowed, he continued, "He did give me permission to continue the D.A., though."

Ginny paused mid-bite and drew the toast away, a bit of jam was left on the corner of her adorable, pouty lips.

"That's great, Harry!" She exclaimed, "Though, I really wouldn't have expected a different outcome... but it would be kind of fun to sneak around like we had last year, if it wasn't allowed again this year..."

Harry could see her devious side shining through, and he laughed. "Luna said something along those lines too! She will be disappointed to find that we got permission..."

As he said this though, his eyes were trained on the bit of jam on the corner of her lip.

"What is it?" She asked, distracting him from his fixation, "Do I have something on my face?"

Harry chuckled and shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. "Actually, you do."

Ginny started to wipe all over her cheeks, wiping anywhere that wasn't where the jam actually was.

"Here..." Harry said, picking up a cloth napkin, "Let me..."

And he slowly wiped away the jam, his eyes focused on the spot of the corner of her lips, fearing that if he met her eyes at that moment, he would kiss her without her consent. But he couldn't help but be fixated on how tempting her lips were... He wondered what it would feel like to press his own lips against them. They looked so soft... inviting.

Kissing her would almost be like having his first kiss... as his first had been so disastrous and disappointing that he still didn't know what a real kiss felt like.

Would it be warm? Tender? Perhaps some of the time it would be, but he couldn't help but imagine that kissing Ginny would be passionate. Just like her fierce personality and her fiery hair...

Once he wiped away the last traces of jam away, he slowly lowered his arm and finally met her eyes.

Her eyes were wide as his own locked gazes with them, and Harry was worried that he had crossed a line that wasn't meant to be crossed just yet. In fact, Harry would have to say that her expression looked panicked... but that couldn't be right. She couldn't be afraid of him... could she?

No, she couldn't. Not after all that they had been through together... She had to know that Harry would never harm her and would do anything within his power to keep her safe.

He had just been about to open his mouth to apologize for overstepping boundaries; when the slamming of a large textbook on the table in front of them caused them to jump and jerk their eyes away from each other involuntarily.

Their eyes met the bushy-haired witch that sat across from them, obviously annoyed about something, with the way she threw her precious book on the table and the way she harshly loaded up her plate with food.

"Hermione...?" Harry asked, his voice cautious, not wanting to upset her even further.

Hermione began to mutter as she administered an unkind treatment to her book with the way she flipped the pages.

Harry and Ginny glanced at each other, perplexed by their friend's behavior.

"Mione," Ginny tried since Hermione had failed to acknowledge Harry, "Are you alright?"

Ginny reached forward to touch her hand, and Hermione startled out of her furious concentration. "Hmm? Oh, yes. I'm fine." She said, stubbornly, as though she was trying to convince herself.

Harry gave her an incredulous look. "You don't seem fine..."

Hermione's stubborn look remained, until she sighed and slouched forward in her seat.

"Oh, alright. It's just- well, something that Lavender Brown was saying, is all."

Ginny's eyebrows puckered in concern as she asked, "What is it exactly that she said?"

Hermione huffed, getting worked up in her annoyance once again. "She kept going on and on about 'Won-Won', and how they had some sort of a connection late last night..."

Harry eyed Ginny at this, and saw that her entire expression grew contrite with guilt. She must have been thinking along the same lines as he had. They both knew that Ron and Hermione secretly pined for each other. In fact, Harry and Ginny often joked about putting together a grand scheme to get them to admit their feelings...

But now, they were both wondering that if Ginny hadn't made fun of Ron's inexperience the night before, then Ron wouldn't have felt the need to encourage Lavender, and inadvertently hurt Hermione in the process.

"...I just think that Ron deserves someone better than Lavender. At least someone that has the same interests as him, or to have intelligent conversations with." Hermione continued, not noticing the look that Harry and Ginny exchanged.

"This is all my fault, Hermione," Ginny said, guiltily.

Hermione seemed startled by the sudden admittance. "What do you mean? You didn't force Ron to... uhh, enjoy Lavender's company... You were out with Dean last night."

Harry's lips thinned at the mention of how Ginny had chosen to spend her time with Dean the night before.

"But that's the thing. Ron and Harry caught me with Dean last night..." Ginny flushed with the memory, " And I sort of went off on Ron about how everyone had kissed someone except for him..."

Ginny bowed her head, once again feeling ashamed, and continued, "Ron must have gotten close to Lavender because I said that... I'm really sorry, Mione! You've helped me so much with my relationship drama," Harry gave Hermione a pointed look at that one, even though they had settled that feud the day they had it. "And then I had to go and muck up yours..."

"Shhhhhh!" Hermione shushed her, and indicated to Harry that he was listening.

Chuckling, Harry said, "You really thought that I didn't already know that you like him, Mione?" Hermione gaped at him in surprise. "How could I not, the way you two always go at it?! Honestly, you two could come up with a better form of flirting than always arguing... it's really annoying."

Hermione's entire face was a blazing red now, and embarrassed, she replied, "Our arguments aren't flirting..." She mumbled this unconvincingly.

Both Harry and Ginny gave her skeptical looks.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Harry said, in a nonchalant manner, but inside he felt as though he were about to burst. "He likes you back."

Both Hermione and Ginny seemed taken aback by this. For entirely different reasons, of course.

"He actually admitted it to you?" Ginny asked, surprise in her voice and beautiful features.

Harry shrugged, "More or less. We heard Dean, er... yeah, before I was able to get the actual words out of him, last night. But it was implied."

Ginny flushed scarlet at the mention of Dean moaning the night before. Harry found himself wishing that she was horrified at the idea of even doing anything like that with Dean, rather than just getting embarrassed at getting caught.

Harry shook his head. His jealousy was getting the better of him. But he couldn't help but wish that it had been him in Dean's place behind the tapestry... that it was his hands fisting Ginny's shirt at her waist as he ravaged her lips, and that it was Ginny's arms around his neck as he did so...

Hermione looked at him, perplexed. "Are you sure that you read him right, Harry? I mean, it would be perfectly reasonable if you had mistaken what he was implying..."

But Harry had stopped listening, and Hermione drifted off as she realized that Harry's attention was elsewhere. She followed Harry's gaze to the double door entrance to the great hall, and felt her heart sink at the sight.

Walking through the double doors towards them was Ron, with Lavender Brown hanging on his arm; cuddling close and giggling in his ear. Harry thought that Ron seemed mighty embarrassed, but also self-satisfied and rather smug.

It was right at that moment that Harry knew that Ron felt nothing for Lavender, and a part of him felt pity for the girl. As it seemed to Harry that she was only being used by Ron to boost his ego... even if Ron wasn't intentionally trying to hurt her.

Harry peaked over at Hermione, only to see her look absolutely crushed. And the sight of her sad eyes - the eyes of his sister in all but blood - made him want to thrash Ron into a bloody pulp for making her feel this way. A least, only in that moment he wanted to do that.

Ron finally made it to them, and sat down next to Hermione, as Lavender got distracted by talking to people as she passed by.

They all stared at Ron with level stares as he piled his plate high with sausages and eggs.

"Ron..." Ginny started in, hesitance evident in her voice. And she waited until he looked up from shoveling food in his mouth before continuing. "I'm sorry... for, er, what I said last night. I was out of line."

Ron swallowed his food heavily, and waved off her apology. "It's fine, Ginny. I realize that I can't baby you forever, and I understand that's the reason why you went off on me..."

Ron's eyes drifted towards Lavender and he caught her eye as she said goodbye to whoever it was she was talking to, and started to make her way over. "Besides," Ron continued, "It's not as though your words from last night still hold true..."

And he smiled at Lavender as she sat down next to Ron. Hermione's bowed head was focused so hard on her lap, Harry feared that she would burn a hole in her skirt from her hard gaze.

"Ohhh," Lavender cooed in excitement, "This is exciting. Sitting with the Golden Trio for breakfast."

Harry gave her an odd look, and Ron and Hermione did the same.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, confused, "What did you call us?"

Shocked would be an understatement in how to describe Lavender in that moment. "You didn't know that's what everyone calls you? It's because of all the adventures you three go on! The three of you aren't very inclusive, either. Not like that's a bad thing... it's very grandeur. Almost like an exclusive club for the elite."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at her, each wearing different expressions on their faces.

"We are not exclusive!" Hermione stressed, indignation heavy in her posture and tone.

"Yeah," Ron chimed in, confusion still evident on his face. "We talk to loads of other people. Like Neville and Luna..."

"Yeah," Harry interjected, wanting to protest simply because the idea that Lavender put in his head made him feel distinctly uncomfortable. "If you also haven't noticed, Ginny is sitting with us as well..."

Lavender waved him off. "That's only because Ginny is Ron's little sister."

Harry was quickly starting to get over his embarrassment and was starting to get rather irritated at the bubbly Gryffindor.

"No. Ginny is sitting here because I like having her here." Harry said, and not noticing the odd looks that he got from his words, he continued in a passionate tone, "If anything, we would be the 'Golden Quartet', if such a thing even exists..."

It was then that his words caught up to his mind, and he realized what he had said.

Lavender didn't seem at all upset that Harry had basically told her off... oh, no... she looked like a cat that caught a canary. Like Rita Skeeter when she got to a juicy story.

Ron looked at him as though he was barking mad, and Harry praised all that is holy that Ron is still as thick in the head as usual, and didn't get the implication of his words.

Hermione was merely giving him a bemused grin, her own grievances forgotten momentarily.

And then there was Ginny...

Harry was almost afraid to look and see her reaction to his emotional outburst, but knew that he had to.

He slowly turned his head to look at her and was surprised at what he saw.

Her eyes were shining with unshed tears, and Harry thought that he had somehow upset her at first, but the smile on her face told a different story.

And before he could say anything to retract what he had said, she launched herself at him, wrapping him in a tight embrace that rivaled Mrs. Weasley's.

It was the second time that she had attacked him with a hug, but he still couldn't get used to it. The wonderful feeling that he got in the pit of his stomach was still so foreign to him. He never had gotten any affection growing up, especially hugs, and it was still difficult for him to understand that he actually had people that cared about him.

At that moment, it didn't much matter that Ginny didn't like him in the way that he liked her... all that mattered was that she was there. In his life... in his arms...

It was then that he realized that he wasn't hugging her back, and just as he was about to rectify that and wrap his arms around her; she pulled away, a smile on her face. "Thank-you, Harry."

Harry couldn't reply vocally, he could only smile shyly at her. His pants were now tight underneath his school robes, his cock straining painfully against the zipper.

She had been so close, and yes, it had been comforting, but Harry was still a boy... a boy who had just been hugged by the girl of his dreams. And that fact, added to how he could remember the feeling of her perky breasts smashed against his chest... well, it had him twitching inside of his pants. And Harry knew that he would have to beat off to the memory that night in order to get sleep.

"A few announcements, if you all please." Dumbledore called from the head table, jumping Harry from his thoughts. And as Harry looked around as the hall quieted, he noticed how much the tables had filled with students. Then he turned his attention to the headmaster just as everyone else did.

Dumbledore smiled serenely, his sapphire-blue eyes shining. "Thank-you. Now, last night there was another prefect meeting called by Miss. Granger to discuss a Hogwarts Unity Day that will take place on November the first..."

"You didn't tell me that there would be another prefect meeting last night!" Ron hissed at Hermione.

Hermione stiffened and whispered back emotionlessly, "You were busy."

Then she turned forward again, her hair whipping in Ron's gobsmacked face.

"...A day which we will learn and celebrate the differences and history of each of the houses."

A few groans could be heard all around the dining hall at the prospect of learning new things and having to get along with each other for the day.

Dumbledore chuckled. "I know, I know. Very exciting, isn't it? And at that very evening, we shall have a Hogwarts Unity Ball. Available to students who are fourth years and up."

Excited chatter filled the hall, tittering between girls expressing their joy at the looming ball, and some groaning from the boys who were dreading the coming chore of having to find a proper date or having to even find the courage to ask.

"Settle down now, settle down. I know you are all excited, but I must let you know that the ball will only be available to those who fully participate in the events of Unity Day. If a professor has grounds to ban you from the ball, then you are not to attend. That being said, let us get on to the next announcement. Miss Lovegood seems to be missing the left foot of every pair of shoes she owns. If you know of the whereabouts of these missing shoes, please return them to their rightful owner."

Bouts of laughter filled the hall, and Harry found himself glaring at those who did laugh around him. It was so unfair how people still mocked Luna just for being different.

"And finally, those of you know that there were rumors of a secret defense club that was organized last year. And that they called themselves, 'Dumbledore's Army'. Which I must say, I am deeply flattered by the chosen name. But I am now confirming that those rumors are true, for those of you who didn't already know. And that it was agreed to last night that the club would resume for this year, which will be led and taught by Mr. Potter."

Everyone was now staring at him, and he fidgeted in his seat at the attention he was getting, trying to keep his attention on the head table. But it was difficult to do when so many eyes were boring into him. Ginny must have noticed his discomfort, because at that moment, she chose to reach out her hand and grab his, her palm resting against the back of his hand.

Their hands were hidden under the table, pressed together on top of his thigh, so no one saw anything...

Heat and sparks traveled up his arm. His heart started to beat fanatically in his chest... he feared that it would beat right out of its confines.

The sparks now traveled to his lower stomach, sending butterflies rampant and free, giving him the desire to vibrate and shake in order to release what he was feeling.

All of this resulted in his cock swelling at a bigger size than it had been from the brief hug he had shared with Ginny.

He was acutely aware at how close Ginny's hand was to his lap... but stopped his thinking of it, as it was a creepy thing to think about when the person was sitting right next to you.

Instead, Harry focused on the comfort that came with holding her hand. It made his entire body feel so warm. He felt taken care of, for once. Something that he must have gotten from his parents at one point, then Mr. and Mrs. Weasley after years of no loving contact of any kind.

A different desire came to his mind, and he wondered if he was brave enough to try it...

Well, was he a Gryffindor or not?! So, Harry slowly twisted his hand from under Ginny's and turned his hand over and threaded their fingers together. Then he gave their intertwined hands a squeeze, then waited with bated breath for her to pull her hand away from his forwardness.

But to his surprise and joy, Ginny squeezed his hand back and didn't pull her hand away.

He felt as though he could fly without a broom.

"Anyone will be welcome to join..." Dumbledore continued on, as the students chatter calmed down once again, and Harry was brought back to the Headmaster's announcement about himself. "...if they so choose. It will be supervised by any one of the number of professors we have, but when and where the club will meet will be entirely decided by Mr. Potter. And I advise you to be respectful, as Mr. Potter will have the same merit as any professor during these club meetings. This includes the right to give detention, deduct house points, and the barring of any student from attending that ball."

Harry's eyes bugged out at that news, as it was the first he was hearing of it. He would essentially be a professor this year and all that came with it... and he wasn't sure how he felt about that, but reasoned that there wasn't much that he could do about it.

He looked up at Dumbledore and he only saw pride and confidence on his mentor's smile and eyes. Before he turned his attention back to the rest of the student body. "That is all. Enjoy the rest of your breakfast. Your heads of houses will be around to give you your class schedules soon, I'm sure."

And then Dumbledore sat, and began pouring maple syrup over his bacon.

The entire hall erupted into chatter from all of the interesting news.

Neville came over instantly, and sat next to Harry. He didn't seem to notice that Harry and Ginny were holding hands. "This is great, Harry! You got Professor Dumbledore's permission? Bloody brilliant!"

Ron nodded enthusiastically, "And you can give detention to those no-good Slytherins on top of it! They won't be giving us any trouble this year!"

Lavender giggled madly at Ron's comment, thinking it to be hilarious as she hugged his arm. Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation, not even bothering to argue with Ron that not all Slytherins were bad. Harry would've been annoyed too, if it weren't for Ginny's hand in his.

At that moment, he felt as though nothing could bring down his jovial mood. And he smiled wide at all of his friends.

"Harry?" A high, feminine voice said from behind him.

Harry turned to look behind him, a smile still on his face, before it disappeared entirely at the sight on the person before him.

It was Cho...

The memory of his last conversation with Cho came to mind, and he almost audibly groaned out loud. He had forgotten all about it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ginny turn to see who was talking to him, and when she did, she slowly released his hand and pulled her's away.

Harry mourned at the loss and inwardly cursed Cho for being the cause of it...

"Hi, Cho," Harry said, without much emotion in his voice.

Cho bit her lip in the same way that she had on the train and asked the same dreaded question.

"Can we talk, Harry?"

The last thing he wanted was for Ginny to see him go off with Cho. He looked back at his friends and started saying, "Actually-"

"It's alright, mate," Ron cut him off, trying to suppress a randy smile. "You can go off without us. We'll get your schedule from McGonagall for you."

Now that Harry had no excuse, thanks to Ron, he sighed before he stood and started walking out towards the door, with Cho following behind him.

As they were walking out the door, they passed Dean as he was walking into the dining hall, obviously late. Dean looked at Harry and Cho with what could only be described as shocked and surprised.

Harry ignored him, and continued walking until they reached a hidden alcove down the hall from the dining area. Then he turn to face Cho, trying not to display his downright terrible mood.

Cho stepped closer, so that she was hidden in the alcove as well. Then she stopped and stared at him, studied him, just as she had on the train.

"Was there something you wanted to talk about?" Harry asked, unable to keep some of the annoyance out of his voice.

Cho pouted a little before she forced a smile. "I just wanted to let you know that it's great that you're teaching the D.A. again this year."

Harry felt himself start to relax. That was all that she wanted to talk about? It was so tame in comparison to what he was thinking she was going to say.

"Yeah, I wasn't going to at first, but Neville gave me the idea, and I thought that it was a good idea. Considering that Voldemort is out there..."

Cho cringed at Voldemort's name, but to her credit, she didn't ask him not to say it.

"I think it's smart. I learned so much from you last year, Harry. And I realize that I never got to thank you..." She took a step forward, and Harry instinctively took a step back.

"I-it's really no problem. You don't need to thank me..."

Cho shook her head, "I insist, really... you hardly get the recognition that you deserve, Harry."

Then she leaned forward and kissed his cheek, leaving a flush behind from where her lips had been. "Thank-you, Harry." Cho whispered as she pulled away.

He really didn't know what to say, as he stood there and gaped at her. When had Cho become so forward?

Harry was just glad that the kiss hadn't been wet... or that she hadn't kissed his lips instead. Harry wanted to save his *real* first kiss for Ginny.

"Harry...?" Cho asked, then she bit her lip again in hesitance.

Harry was still staring at her as though she had come from another world, but managed to snap out of it to answer her. "Y-yes?"

Cho shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Will you go to the ball with me?"

Harry's jaw dropped. There had been a time that he would have been shocked for an entirely different reason if Cho had asked him to the ball. He would have been shocked at first, but then he would have eagerly accepted.

But that wasn't the case anymore...

He couldn't believe that she still didn't get it through her head... he had rejected her. Or, at least he had tried to. She had to know where his true feelings lie when it came to her... he didn't feel the same way as he once had.

It was easy to be honest with himself when he asked who he really wanted to go to the ball with... but he figured that Ginny would want to go with Dean, and would be unavailable.

So he said the first excuse that came to his mind.

"I-I'm sorry, Cho," Harry said, actual regret in his voice, "I already asked Hermione to go with me, and she said yes."

Cho looked at him with wide, sad eyes for a moment, before they narrowed suspiciously. "I thought that you said that you and Hermione had nothing going on?"

Harry panicked as he scrambled for an excuse. "W-we don't! She's like my sister, really. It's just that Ron has Lavender now, and... well, yeah."

Cho's eyes softened slightly, and she now only looked disappointed. "I understand. Will you at least save a couple of dances for me?"

Harry couldn't see any reason to deny her that, so he nodded.

They stood silently for a moment before Cho suddenly leaped forward and pecked him on the lips quickly before turning and running away.

Then Harry was left standing there, gobsmacked at what had just happened.

...

Harry spent the rest of the day floating in and out of classes, his mind settled on being somewhere else entirely.

Harry couldn't stop thinking about the 'attack kiss', as he had taken to calling it in his head, that he had gotten from Cho. And the more that he thought about it, the angrier he got about it. What right did Cho have to just kiss him like that?! He made it perfectly clear to her that he didn't want to do such things like that with her anymore!

It wasn't until he was walking to lunch with Hermione - Ron and Lavender had already run ahead of them - that he remembered his excuse to saying no to Cho when she asked him to the ball.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, his voice unsure.

Hermione's attention snapped up to him, surprised that he even said anything. As he hadn't said a word since he and Cho left the dining hall together. "Yes, Harry?"

"Would it be alright if you, well, that is, if you want to, go to the ball with me?"

Hermione stopped walking, Harry followed her example and stopped as well, and she studied him in a way that made him feel as though he was a very old spell book that she had gotten her hands on.

After a while, Harry started to get uncomfortable. "It would only be as friends, Mione. You're like a sister to me."

Hermione quickly nodded, "Oh, I know that... it's just that, well, you've been so quiet all day since..." She trailed off and tilted her head to the side, inquisitively. "This doesn't have anything to do with Cho, does it?"

Harry nodded his head slowly. "She asked me to the dance, and I... I'm sorry, Mione, I know that I should have asked first, but I told her that I was already going with you... So, will you? Go with me, that is."

Her eyes softened and she smiled. "Of course, Harry. I would love to. It will save me from having to find my own date to the ball, since..." She suddenly trailed off, as though she had forgotten that Harry knew that she fancied Ron.

"...Since Ron might be going with Lavender?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry for never telling you how I felt about him, Harry... but you have to understand that you're his friend, too. And I guess I was afraid that you would think that it was silly."

They started to walk again. "I never thought it was silly. Even when you two thought that you were fooling everyone into thinking that you didn't like each other. I had my suspicions in our third year, but it wasn't until the Yule ball did I finally know for sure."

They made it to the dining hall for lunch, and Harry dropped the somber mood, that he had been carrying with him since breakfast, entirely. As he found himself searching the Gryffindor table for a certain red-headed fifth year...

"She's not here..." Hermione told him, dropping her own melancholy for her matter-of-fact attitude once again. Harry wondered if it was a defense mechanism against feeling the jealousy for Ron and Lavender. "She's out sick for the day. Said something about not feeling good and not getting enough sleep last night, not long after you left with Cho."

Harry felt himself grow concerned for Ginny, as Ginny wasn't the type of person who ever complained even when she had cause to. "Is she going to be alright?"

She had seemed fine at breakfast, though a bit tired... and maybe a little flushed.

"She'll be fine. Nothing that a little rest won't fix."

Then she sat down abruptly across from Neville, which Harry noticed was practically on the opposite side of the hall from where Ron and Lavender were sitting. Harry vowed then that he would be having a long talk with Ron... No one upset his sister this much and got to get away with it without repercussions.

He sat down next to Hermione, where she was talking to Neville about the ball and how her and Harry were going together as friends. And she somehow got Neville to admit that he wanted to ask Luna to go as his date.

"You don't think that she's already been asked, do you?" He had asked.

The rest of the day had been rather dull for Harry. He found himself missing his Ginger Firecracker far more than he had anticipated. He didn't realize until the end of lunch, how much he had been looking forward to the lunch hour just so that he could see her. And his hopes had been dashed as soon as he didn't. Leaving him disappointed and grumpy for the rest of the day.

At the end of the day, Harry had a free-period, which he chose to spend lazily flying around the Quidditch pitch, trying to pretend that he wasn't as gloomy as he felt.

He was worried about Ginny... he hoped that she was feeling alright.

If only he could just see her... hold her close, and cuddle all the sickness and pains away.

Harry abruptly stopped his broom, mid-air, as an idea suddenly came to him.

"That's it!" Harry exclaimed, and landed his broom, before yelling clearly to the empty pitch, "Dobby!"

A loud crack broke through the quiet September air, and a small elf appeared in front of him, out of nothing.

"Harry Potter needs Dobby?!" The little elf exclaimed, bouncing up and down on his little toes, and pulling his long ears in his joy. "What is it is Dobby needing to do for Harry Potter, Sir?!"

Harry would have been uncomfortable by the adoration Dobby was showering him with, if he wasn't so excited for the idea he just had. "No need to call me sir, Dobby. Harry is just fine."

Dobby ran forward and wrapped his small arms around Harry's legs. "Dobby forgets that Harry Potter treats Dobby as a friend. Harry Potter is a great and kind wizard, he is...!"

Dobby started to wail in his joy. "Harry Potter is a friend to poor house-elves!"

A twinge of discomfort sparked in Harry, but he pushed it away. He knew how Dobby worked, and he knew just the thing to say to Dobby to distract him.

"Dobby?" Harry started, in a kind tone. "Can you do me a favor?"

Dobby looked up at Harry from when he was still wrapped around his legs, and his eyes held nothing but admiration. "Anything for Harry Potter! Anything!"

"Can you get me a picnic basket with soup and bread? I have a, er... friend that is sick."

Dobby beamed at Harry more, if that were even possible. "Harry Potter is so kind to his friends!"

Then he disappeared, and not a minute later, returned with a basket with a mouth-watering smell of soup.

Harry took it and thanked Dobby before Dobby disappeared with a crack in the air.

Then Harry mounted his broom and flew up towards Gryffindor tower.

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	14. Chapter 14

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Chapter Fourteen

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Ginny lay in bed, wide awake after having rested all day. She hadn't been lying when she had told everyone that she hadn't been feeling good after eating breakfast. She had gotten a sick feeling in her stomach a little while after Dean had joined her at the table.

It was actually strange at how quickly the roiling in her stomach came about.

It was  _also_  strange at how  _weird_  the entire morning had been...

She was aware enough at how awkward it was to sit with both Dean and Ron after what had happened last night, but the two blatantly ignored each other. Which was probably for the best. Though, Dean  _did_  shoot her a questioning look at the sight of Ron with Lavender.

Hermione had been intently focused on her book, while Neville had been acutely unaware of the tension surrounding him at the table.

And then there was Harry... she hadn't been aware that he and Cho still had something going on... not that it was any of her business, but there  _had_  to be something still there between them... Why else would Harry walk off with her for a private chat?

Her face flushed at almost having been caught holding hands with Harry by Cho. She had almost messed things up for him with that.

But she grabbed his hand in a way of comfort, not because it felt nice... at least that's what she had been telling herself for the past five hours. And after thinking about it, she realized how silly it was of her to try and comfort Harry. Why would he want comfort from  _her?_ She really had overstepped her bounds when she grabbed his hand.

 _'Then why did he lace both of your fingers together and squeeze your hand?'_  A pesky thought poked back at her, and she found it best to ignore it for now.

But then there was Dean... who had been late to breakfast and missed Dumbledore's announcements. He had no clue about the ball... and she didn't know why she didn't tell him about it. All that she knew was that something was holding her back... perhaps it was that she was kind of upset with Dean about how he talked to Ron and Harry when they had been caught snogging...

Sure, her attitude hadn't been much better. But she was close to Ron and Harry, whereas Dean wasn't. Any annoyance that she would have with them didn't come from malicious intent.

Or maybe she merely had no interest in going to the ball at all. She really wasn't sure if she wanted to or not… despite it being her idea. She didn't have all that much fun at the Yule Ball, last time around. Neville, bless his heart, couldn't stop stepping on her feet when they danced.

And she just remembered being miserable for not being there with who she really wanted to be with at the time. She remembered watching Harry that night… watching him watch Cho with his own jealousy.

It was odd how thing have come to this point… Harry finally has Cho, and Ginny has moved on.

All was right in the world…

A tapping on her window broke her from her thoughts, which she was grateful for, as she was tired of her thoughts going 'round and 'round in circles.

The tapping came again at the window, and thinking that it was an owl with a letter to deliver, she lazily stood to open it, not even bothering to change out of her pajama shorts and braless tank top.

She drew apart the drapes from the window and shrieked back in fright.

_"Harry!"_

Harry Potter was floating on a broom outside her dorm window, staring at her with a sheepish look on his face.

Once her heart had it's time to calm down, Harry motioned for her to open her window. It took her a second before she did just that, and he flew in and landed on his feet, then turned to her.

She couldn't help but notice how nice he looked today. The bags that were under his eyes earlier had disappeared and were wide and bright. His black hair was windswept from flying through the air, so it looked longer and in more of a disarray than usual. He was no longer in his school robes and was wearing one of his green, Weasley jumpers that her mum had made for him. It was actually rather snug on him now, and it was at that moment when Ginny noticed how much Harry had actually grown over the summer. It was difficult to tell when he was always wearing his cousins old, baggy clothing, but he wasn't as scrawny as he was at the end of last year.

Shaking her head slightly, she got her thoughts back on track. And she wondered what he was even doing here... in the girls' dorm, no less. But she had to give him credit for finding a way past the charm on the stairs that barred boys from entering the girls' dorms. In fact, she found herself impressed.

"Hey, Gin," Harry said, rather awkwardly. His face was flushed red from embarrassment... but she had no idea what from. Perhaps he wasn't embarrassed and was merely flushed from riding his broom?

But then what he said registered through her mind, and she noticed the nickname that he had given her…

 _Gin_ …

It sort of threw her off at first, but as it bounced around in her mind, she found that she actually liked it. The name was unique. Better than being known as Ginevra, for sure. And though he had called her that in an awkward tone, it was still said in an affectionate manner. Something that she couldn't help but appreciate.

She wondered again at why he was here, but before she could question his presence out loud, he held up a basket that she hadn't noticed until that moment. "I thought that you might be hungry... you know since you missed lunch."

As if on cue, her stomach rumbled loudly in reply. And Harry chuckled, "I guess that answers  _that_  question."

Without dwelling on any silly embarrassment, she hurried forward and took the basket from him. "Thank-you! You are a  _Godsend,_ Harry! I hadn't even realized how hungry I was until now!"

She took the basket over to her bed, and sat down on it, before she curled her feet under her bum, getting comfortable. "What'd you bring me?" She asked, working at the ties that kept the basket tied shut.

As she got the ties loose, Ginny looked up at Harry's pleased face where he still stood, and he replied, "Soup and bread."

Opening the basket, a pleasant aroma filled the room. Ginny closed her eyes and soaked it in, before exhaling serenely. Then she opened her eyes, and they nearly bugged out at the large amount of food that was in the basket. There wasn't just soup and bread... but little chocolates, strawberries, cream puffs, butterbeer, and a variety of different loaves of bread and soups.

"How much did you expect me to eat, Harry?" Ginny asked, with a laugh.

Harry stepped forward and peered into the basket. And when he saw the large amount of food packed into the small basket, he flushed even more. "I may have had Dobby pack the basket for me..."

Ginny stared at him with a humorous grin, "Well, I can't eat all of this by myself..."

Then she patted the spot beside her on the bed, and Harry was quick to join her on it. "I'm glad you offered," Harry confided. "The smell was making my mouth water."

Ginny couldn't blame him, as she was salivating at the thought of food, herself. They both carefully looked over their selections, before deciding that they would sample a little bit of everything. It was as they both tucked in when Harry looked at her with concern in his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" He asked before he lifted the back of his hand to her forehead. "You feel a little warm…"

Ginny had been busy dunking a piece of bread in some tomato soup as he said this, and she looked up at him with a small smile. "Better. Especially now with food in my stomach."

Harry gave her a wide grin at that and slowly dropped his arm. "I'm glad. I was worried..."

Choosing not to comment, Ginny fell into a companionable silence with Harry as they ate. Every once in a while, they would each express their satisfaction at a particularly delicious sample of food they tried.

It was later - just after the packed everything up, as they both had gotten rather full - when Harry caught Ginny staring at him curiously.

"Do I have something on  _my_  face now?" Harry asked, jokingly.

A smile grew on her lips as she slowly shook her head, but then her smile disappeared and she looked at him seriously.

"How are things with Cho?" She asked him, hesitantly. Hoping that she wasn't overstepping any lines. It seemed as though she was doing that a lot lately… especially in regards to Harry.

She was surprised, however, when Harry immediately groaned and ran a hand down his face. "Exhausting... Frustrating... take your pick."

He picked at a stray string of fabric on his jeans, exasperatedly, before he looked up at her. He must have seen the perplexed look on her face because he quickly continued. "She's trying to get back together with me..."

This didn't help Ginny at all with her confusion on the matter. "And you  _don't_  want to?"

Harry nodded. "I realized that I only liked her for superficial reasons. But once I got past that, and started to get to know her, I found that we actually have nothing in common... just spending time alone with her is always so awkward and uncomfortable."

Ginny nodded, starting to understand now. What she didn't understand was why she felt - what was the word...  _relieved_  at the realization that Harry didn't care for Cho. She supposed that she just thought that Harry was too good for someone like Cho... and that she just never cared for the Ravenclaw girl in the first place. So, of course, she wouldn't want Harry to be with Cho... that would mean having her around all of that time. Because there was no way in  _hell_  she would break ties with Harry if he actually  _wanted_  to be with Cho.

Ginny shuttered at the thought of having to be cordial with her, if only for Harry's sake. Thank  _Merlin_  he wasn't interested in her anymore!

"Let me guess... she's having a hard time accepting that you don't want to be with her." She stated this as a fact rather than asking it, as it sounded exactly like Cho...

Harry nodded with an exasperated sigh. "You have no idea... I've tried to let her down easy. But she just won't take the hint. When she wanted to talk to me earlier, I didn't  _want_  to go, but Ron took away any excuse that I had, so I had to! And then, she asked me to the ball! I had to lie and say that I had already asked Hermione. Which she got all  _angry_  at for some reason..."

Ginny started to giggle madly, feeling far better than she had since the morning, for some reason. "Don't you  _see,_ Harry?! She was  _jealous!_ Of  _you_  and  _Hermione,_ of all people!"

His green eyes got really wide behind his glasses, wide enough that they reminded Ginny of an owl. _"That's_  why it seemed like she was angry?"

Rolling her eyes at how dense he could be, Ginny responded, "You aren't very good with reading girls, are you, Harry?"

For a moment there, it looked as though he were about to argue – at least it looked as though he wanted to - before he sighed and slumped where he sat. "I suppose you're right..."

He looked so hopelessly lost in that moment, that Ginny couldn't help herself when she asked, "You want my advice?"

His eyes perked up and he nodded eagerly. Why did it please her that she made him feel better just then? I suppose it was a good thing to want to cheer your friends up when they were feeling down…

"You keep on trying to let her down easy and not hurt her feelings..." Ginny began, "Well, that clearly hadn't worked. So, you have to be blunt and firmly tell her that you aren't interested."

Harry's eyes widened comically at this. _"I can't do that!_ I mean, she'll  _cry!"_

The laughter bubbled out of her before she could stop it. The idea was just so absurd to her... "Harry, you've faced a Hungarian Horntail; lived your childhood with those horrible, muggle relatives of yours; beat all of the Tri-Wizard Tournament tasks; talked back to Snape, and dueled Voldemort five times, and lived to tell the tale... but you are terrified of an overly affectionate girl's tears?"

A distinguished frown grew on Harry's face. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds like it should be easy."

"Then why does your voice still sound doubtful?" Ginny asked.

Harry rolled his eyes. But the way that he did it, made it seem that he was rolling them at himself and not at her.

"It's because, when I am in the moment, talking to Cho – or any other girl, for that matter…" He cringed at something from his own thoughts, that Ginny knew nothing about. "…My mind freezes and I never know what to say. I'm a cad that any girl can walk over to get what they want from me…"

"Who knew that Harry Potter's secret downfall is teenaged girls?" Ginny intervened, still finding it slightly funny. Before she got serious, for his sake. She started to think… to brainstorm over how to solve his problem. Because if she didn't help him soon, Harry wouldn't need to be subjected to a love potion in order to be ensnared in the webs of an unfortunate relationship that he didn't want.

Suddenly, she brightened as an idea came to her. "I've got it!" Then she turned to him fully, excitement in her body and tone, as she sat cross-legged in front of him.

"We could role-play!" Ginny suggested, happy to have thought of something that could help him.

Harry started to choke on a violent coughing fit. He pounded on his chest as he managed to choke out, _"R-Role-play?!"_

Ginny nodded, confused at his weird behavior. "Yeah, you know, practice scenarios where I will be Cho, and you will reject me. That way you will know what to do when you confront her."

"O-oh… alright then… But, in real life, Cho has gotten to be quite, uh,  _aggressive_  in her, um,  _pursuit_ …" Harry answered, still not quite convinced at how good the idea was.

Ginny waved him off, a devious smile on her lips. "Don't worry. I'll be so vigorous, it will be difficult for you to say no to me… I won't take no for an answer."

Swallowing heavily, Harry pulled at the collar of his jumper, before standing abruptly. "Al-alright. We can try…"

Ginny stood as well and straightened her cloth shorts, that had ridden up a bit from sitting on the bed.

"Now, act as you think you should, and I will give you advice on how you can improve. That sound alright?" Ginny instructed.

Harry nodded, nervously, and wiped his palms on his jeans.

Ginny took a moment to concentrate on how she wanted to go about this before she got into the embodiment of Cho Chang...

Ginny bit her lip awkwardly and shuffled her feet. _"Harry_..." She breathed.

Harry exhaled roughly, before saying, "Y-yes, Gin- I-I mean, Cho?"

Ginny had to suppress a smirk at his slip-up, but she managed not to lose her composure or her character. "Can we talk, Harry?"

She flashed him big, doe eyes, just as she had seen Cho do. She held out her hand for him to take, and Harry nodded absentmindedly, before immediately grabbing her hand with his.

Ginny dragged him to the other side of the room, pretending that she was 'finding a private place to chat'. Then she stopped and stared at him, tilting her head to the side in a studying manner.

"I really like you, Harry..." She declared in a vulnerable manner, she still had a grip on his hand, and she took a step closer as she said this. He didn't move away, as she inched her way closer. In fact, his breathing became labored, with what she suspected was the result of nervousness on his part.

"I want us to be together..." She accentuated this with another step closer. "Do you want that, Harry?"

She was now invading his personal space, and her hands came up to caress the sides of his neck... her fingers threading through the short hairs at the nape.

Harry, himself, seemed to be shaking and he nodded a little bit before he caught himself, and abruptly shook his head no.

She leaned in close so that her lips were at his ear. "I want to hear you say it, Harry..." She whispered, before she rested her cheek against his, and pressed herself against his lean form in an embrace.

 _"I-I want,_ I mean, I  _don't_  want you, Cho..." Harry stuttered, but his hands wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

Ginny's breath hitched at the feeling of being in his arms. For a moment, she forgot where she was, and what she was supposed to be doing… She was so close, that she could smell his scent… She closed her eyes and breathed it in deep… it was  _alluring_. He smelled of peppermint… pinewood… and butterbeer… She found herself leaning forward to get closer to the tantalizing smell until her nose was nestled into the side of that disarray of black hair.

She breathed in deep once again, pleased that the scent was so much more potent there. A strangled groan erupted from Harry, as his hands fisted at the fabric of her tank top. And it was at that sound, that Ginny remembered herself and abruptly pulled back.

Poor Harry looked so dazed and confused… If she hadn't overstepped the line before, now she surely did!

She didn't know what exactly came over her, but it was as though…  _old feelings_  had come forth… But that couldn't possibly be true! It had to be something else! Perhaps she had been confunded earlier and hadn't quite gotten over the effects yet.

As she stared at him in horror, her mind tried to come up with ways to fix this… She couldn't just let things become awkward between her and Harry! Not again! She just couldn't allow it…!

Ginny forced a laugh and made it sound natural, though inside, her stomach felt upset once again. "I would say that you might need a bit more practice in the art of rejection, Harry…"

Blinking numerous times, Harry came back to himself from out of his stupor.

"S-sorry…" He apologized, his face now, not only flushed, but a Weasley red that expanded past his cheek, to his neck, and beneath his jumper… She absentmindedly wondered how far the flush went… "Y-you weren't kidding when you said that you weren't going to hold anything back…"

She looked at him critically now and playfully circled around him as she studied him. "I think I know what your problem is…" Ginny finally said as she stopped her circling at stood in front of him. "You have trouble saying no…"

Harry sputtered and then he scoffed, indignation taking over his initial embarrassment. "I don't have a problem saying no…!" He crossed his arms as a form of protest, and to emphasize his thoughts on the matter.

"Oh really?" Ginny asked, amused and not at all convinced. "When was the last time that you said no to something that was expected of you, that you  _really_  didn't want to do?"

Harry readily opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out. He closed his mouth and pursed his lips in thought as he scratched at the side of his head, just above his ear. When a minute passed with no response from him, Ginny considered it a victory. "That's what I thought… All that we have to do is have you practice saying no."

She turned and walked over to her bed, before sitting down on it again. Harry hesitantly followed suit and sat down stiffly on the mattress.

Ginny turned to face him when he finally sat. "Now, before we start, I've been meaning to ask you… Would you mind helping me by talking to Snape and getting the work that I missed today? It would really help me out, Harry…"

Harry immediately nodded. "Sure, Gin. I'll go see him after supper."

Groaning, Ginny fell backward on the bed and covered her face with her forearm in exasperation. _"Harry...!"_ Ginny scolded. "You were _supposed_ to say no!"

"Wha…" Was the noise that Harry managed to get out, his voice thick with surprise. And Ginny uncovered her eyes and sat up in a sitting position, once again. "I hadn't realized that we started!"

Ginny rolled her eyes at him. "That's the point, Harry. Life isn't going to be one big practice session. Bludgers are going to be unexpectedly thrown your way, and you have to learn how to dodge them… because, most of the time, bludgers  _don't_ come with any warnings."

Looking pointedly at him as she said this, Harry sighed heavily in defeat and nodded. "Right… right… learn to dodge… right."

Ginny nodded in approval at him, glad to see that he was seeming to get it. "Want to try again?"

Harry immediately agreed, and for the next twenty minutes, Ginny asked Harry for different favors, and Harry practiced saying no. Ginny even went so far as to teach him to have valid points as to why he was saying no so that there would be no argument to the contrary for his decision.

"Harry, will you please rub my feet? They may smell a bit at times, but I've had a long day running drills for the Quidditch team all day, and they've gotten a bit sore…" Ginny asked, and she had a hard time keeping her laughter in, as did Harry. It was fun thinking of ridiculous things to ask him.

Harry snickered at the smelly feet comment, before he replied, "No. Sorry, Gin, but I-"

"Don't apologize for something that you don't want to do." Ginny interrupted to remind him. "It's practically an invitation for someone to walk all over you…"

Harry nodded to himself as he took the critique, "Right… Right… Don't apologize." Then he stood up straighter and cleared his throat.

"No." He said in a bold and confident tone, something that Ginny wasn't used to hearing from Harry. "I don't want to, and besides, you don't even use your feet for Quidditch… So how can they be sore from that?"

Ginny laughed heartily. "Very good!" She applauded loudly as Harry stood and gave her a mock bow at the praise. Harry straightened from his bow, and grinned cheekily at her, before sitting right next to her, and throwing an arm around her slender shoulders, in a very demure way. Ginny could help but chuckle at him.

"What if, after all of this, Cho still won't let up?" Harry asked, his voice still more confident than usual, but there was a slight nervousness at this possibility.

Ginny's eyes narrowed at the thought. "Then she's as dumb as a doorknob for not taking a hint, and you should stop indulging her. If nothing else, ignoring her will get the point across."

She lay her head on his shoulder and he squeezed hers where his hand lay.

"Thanks for everything, Gin," Harry whispered, before turning his head and kissing her on the side of her forehead. "It was actually a lot of fun!"

Ginny sighed contentedly. It had been a lot of fun… teasing each other with questions and answers, like that. "I don't think that I have ever seen you act that confident before…" Ginny mused. "Not even when you are in a duel… or at the Department of Mysteries…"

She felt Harry stiffen underneath her, and she pulled away slightly – his arm falling from around her shoulders - so that she could look at him properly. By the looks of him, he seemed rather troubled by what she had said.

"Do you think that lack of confidence is something that holds you back? Is that why you step back and let Ron or Hermione take the lead most of the time, unless – in the direst of situations – you  _have_  to step forward and take control?" Ginny really hoped that she was hitting the nail on the head for this. "I noticed this a lot when we were in the Department of Mysteries, last year… It was only after- well…"

"You can say it…" Harry encouraged, sadly.

"It was only after Sirius had gone through the veil, did you finally take charge and went after Bellatrix. I want to know why that is…"

"Everyone knows that I'm not the greatest wizard…" Harry said, miserably. "I know that I can't do it all, Gin."

"I know you can," Ginny said, firmly, and she forcefully grabbed his hand in both of hers and squeezed it tight. "You know why?"

Harry shook his head.

"Because all those amazing things I said that you went through, aren't the only things. You also saved a poor, little first-year girl from a chamber, a basilisk, an evil spirit, and a diary." Ginny replied, passionately. "And if you can't believe in yourself as a hero, know that I believe enough for the both of us... because without you, I wouldn't even be alive. There hasn't been a greater gift that anyone has ever given me."

His face was dazed as he looked at her, and his eyes were wide with awe... For  _her_ … His body was swaying closer, fractionally. And Ginny wondered if there was something wrong with what she had said. Did she break Harry Potter? Because he seemed to not be functioning normally.

It was the chatter of girls walking up the stairs, outside the door, that froze Harry. There was a light knock on the door…

"Ginny?"

Harry was quick to whip out his wand.

"Ginny?" A soft voice called through the door before the twisting of the knob started to turn…

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	15. Chapter 15

 

 

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_His face was dazed as he looked at her, and his eyes were wide with awe... For her… His body was swaying closer, fractionally. And Ginny wondered if there was something wrong with what she had said. Did she break Harry Potter? Because he seemed to not be functioning normally._

_It was the chatter of girls walking up the stairs, outside the door, that froze Harry. There was a light knock on the door…_

_"Ginny?"_

_Harry was quick to whip out his wand._

_"Ginny?" A soft voice called through the door before the twisting of the knob started to turn…_

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Chapter 15

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Harry was quick to react, he whipped out his wand and hissed, _"Accio!"_ at the basket and his broom. They zoomed onto the mattress beside him. Then he closed the bed hangings around the bed and set up a silencing charm. And it was as the door opened, Harry cast a sticking spell on the bed hangings, so they couldn't be opened.

"Ginny…?" The voice said as it got closer. "Are you awake?"

Harry was so focused on quieting his breath - despite not needing to, because of his silencing charm - that he jumped when Ginny spoke to him by his ear, in a normal tone.

"That would be Josephine..." Ginny commented. For a moment, Harry couldn't even register what she was saying to him. He was too busy gawking at her as his previous thoughts, from minutes before, caught up with him.

He had been about to kiss her… He had really been about to  _kiss_  her! He was such a  _PRAT!_ He had no claim to Ginny's lips, whatsoever. Ginny was still dating Dean… so, why would she accept Harry's kiss?! He was an  _idiot!_

_Then why did it feel so right in that moment?_ Harry's thoughts unwillingly argued back at him.  _Ginny hasn't shied away from your touch before… In fact, she had instigated most of them_.

That still didn't give him the right to  _kiss_  her without her consent! He really had almost ruined everything for himself. Imagine if he had kissed Ginny, and she would be so angry about it, that she would want nothing to do with him any longer. He had to prove to Ginny that he was worthy of her fancy, once again, before he could even begin to dream about doing anything like kissing with her.

"That was a good thing, you did, putting up those spells so fast," Ginny added. "She's a bit of a gossip monger... it wouldn't have been long before the entire school knew that you were in the girls' dorms if she caught you."

Ginny's bed curtains rustled a bit, a sign that someone was trying to pry them apart before it stopped… meaning that they had given up. And the footsteps wandered away, Josephine absentmindedly commenting on how Ginny must have gotten a sleeping potion, somehow.

Despite himself, Harry couldn't help but whisper as he replied, "Will she be in here for much longer, do you think?"

As he said this, other voices came into the room, then the click of the door behind them indicated that they were all closed in.

Snickering at his need to be quiet while under the blanket protection of a silencing charm, Ginny asked, "Well, what time is it, exactly?"

Harry cast a tempus charm, and the result revealed that it was well past seven o'clock in the evening...

They had missed dinner... and they hadn't noticed the sky getting dimmer outside.

Ginny, once seeing the time, looked both contrite and horror-stricken at the same time. "Harry... I'm so  _sorry_. They usually stay up here for the night after dinner-"

Three pairs of different giggles interrupted Ginny, as one stated out, excitedly, "Let's play,  _'Truth or Dare'!"_

Sounds of agreement came forth from the other two girls in the room, as Ginny looked at Harry in a way that said her suspicions were proved to be true. The girls were in for the night...

"You're going to have to stay until they fall asleep if you don't want to get caught, Harry..."

His heart leaped in his chest as Ginny told him this. There he was, stuck in a bed, for what could be hours of privacy, with the girl of his dreams... most blokes would be pining for the chance! But a nervousness took place within Harry. How could he possibly control his urge to let her how he feels?!

"Al-alright," Harry agreed, before they both settled into conversation, with the chatter of Ginny's dorm mates in the background. Eventually, Harry and Ginny started to supply their own answers to some of the more milder 'truth' questions the girls asked.

Josephine asked another girl, who Ginny informed Harry as being Loretta, what her most embarrassing moment was.

It was Ginny's turn to answer the truth, and Harry waited with a deviously, gleeful smile as she pondered her answer. "Let's see... I think that I would have to say that it was the time Percy tried to give me the sex talk on the Hogwarts Express in my first year... I think he was worried I would go off and get myself a boyfriend at eleven years old!"

Harry started to laugh boisterously, not at all bothered about being quiet anymore, before Ginny shrugged nonchalantly. "But now, at least I know there was a time that Percy actually cared... which is difficult to tell nowadays.  _The git!"_

Harry nodded seriously at her answer. Knowing that Percy was still a sore subject to discuss for the entire Weasley family. Harry reached out and made contact with her hand - the first time being that he reached out first - and clasped her hand tightly.

Ginny automatically squeezed his hand back, and Harry felt as though his heart was floating.

"Truth or dare?" The third girl, Mayetta, asked.

"Dare," Josephine replied, confident.

The three all giggled at the bravery and scandal this ensued, as Mayetta thought about dares she could give her.

Harry looked over at Ginny, a perplexed look in his eye. "Why is it that girls giggle so much?"

Ginny, herself, snorted at the question. "It's because girls like to laugh. They want to find something humorous, especially in a boy they like. If you make a girl laugh all of the time, that means she likes you. But if she doesn't, then she doesn't fancy you all that much."

Harry found himself in awe of her wisdom. Who would have thought that so much meaning was behind such a simple thing as laughing?

Reflecting on what she said, however, Harry strained his memory to see if he had ever made Ginny laugh a lot of the time. And he was saddened that he honestly couldn't remember if he had or not... and he vowed right then and there that he would spend a large effort in trying to get Ginny to laugh. Or even smile... he loved to see her smile.

_"I've got it!"_ Mayetta exclaimed, as the rest of the girls tittered in anticipation. "I dare you to go down to the great hall at breakfast tomorrow morning and...  _KISS HARRY POTTER!"_

Harry's mouth dropped. In the back of his mind, he vaguely registered the squealing from the girls at the dare. But he couldn't focus on anything past the ringing in his ears.

No... just, no! He couldn't allow  _another_  attack kiss! He just couldn't! What right did girls have to go around just kissing anyone?! At least with Cho, he had kissed her before willingly, but this girl was a complete  _stranger_  to him! He had only just learned her name!

"B-but, you saw what happened earlier  _this morning!"_ Josephine stuttered, no longer confident. "Cho  _kissed him_  in that alcove outside of the dining hall!"

Harry groaned and covered his face in his embarrassment. He really hadn't known that anyone knew about that...  _hell,_ he barely wanted to know anything about it. In fact, he really wanted to just forget the matter entirely.

He felt Ginny's hand stiffen where it was still clasped with his, and wanted to scream in frustration! He didn't want Ginny to find out about Cho's attack kiss on him. It really wasn't important to him at all!

"You weren't lying when you said that Cho was  _aggressive_  in her pursuit, were you?" Ginny asked, her voice sounding strange.

Harry uncovered his face and shook his head, not able to find his voice.

"But you saw his face after Cho ran away!" Mayetta argued, passionately. "He looked as though he were about to be sick! He obviously doesn't like her anymore."

"I-I just  _can't!"_ Josephine exclaimed.

Mayetta sighed dramatically. "Look, now's your chance, Josie. Harry is single. Do you really think that he will be that way for much longer?! He can have  _any_ girl in the entire castle!"

Harry could not believe what he was hearing...! If it were true that he could have any girl that he wanted, then he and Ginny would be together right then. And instead of sitting on her bed, listening to teen girls play a silly game and talk about him; they would probably be laying down on her mattress, too busy snogging to worry about what the girls were saying.

Before Harry could comprehend much more after that, Ginny was moving... slipping through the curtains of her bed in a way that still kept Harry hidden.

He wanted to grab her arm to stop her, and demand - in a hissing tone - what she was doing! But he had to remain silent... because as soon as she parted the curtains, it canceled out the silencing charm for that brief moment. Before the curtains went back together again and was reinstated.

"Ginny?!" Mayetta cried out, her voice sounding as though she had been caught doing something that she wasn't supposed to. "You're awake!"

"Yes. I am." Ginny's scathing voice came out level and confident. "And I heard all about what you planned on doing tomorrow morning. And I think it's wrong, putting Harry on the spot like that in front of the entire school! _Especially_ by someone he doesn't even know!"

Harry vocally cheered from underneath the silencing charm, not that Ginny could hear his praise.

A snooty scoff came from one of the girls - Harry guessed it was Mayetta. "If that seems to be the problem, then it seems to me that it would be better received if it came from you... what do you say, Ginny? Are you brave enough to kiss Harry Potter in front of the entire school?"

It was obvious that this was aimed at Ginny in what was supposed to be a condescending manner, but Harry couldn't help but fantasize about it actually happening...

_He would be sitting at breakfast, minding his own business when Ginny would come up. She would cut off his greeting, without a word of her own, and would pull him into a scathing, passionate kiss. They would kiss for a long moment before she would finally pull away and confess her feelings for him... then he would kiss her brazenly, admitting to feeling the same way, against her plush lips..._

Harry felt himself grow hard, and his hand automatically reached down and adjusted himself in his trousers. But as soon as his hand made contact with his cock, it felt too good to stop touching himself. He hadn't wanked last night; and that was just enough time that had passed without giving into his need, for him to become desperate with it suddenly. So, that was how Harry found himself palming his hard-on on Ginny Weasley's bed...

_"Merlin, Ginny!"_ He exclaimed, loudly, reveling in the tingling sensations his touch gave him. "Please,  _take the dare!"_

Ginny had been quiet for a long moment; which Harry couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing. Finally, she spoke, "If you didn't already know, I'm dating Dean." Ginny responded, calmly. "And I happen to know for a fact that Harry isn't looking for anyone, so you are out of luck. Harry happens to be too busy, worrying about Voldemort..."

Horrified gasps filled the room, which temporarily broke Harry from the lustful spell he found himself under.

_"Don't say the name!"_ One terrified girl's voice spoke out.

Ginny scoffed. "Oh,  _please!_ Are you all Gryffindor's or not?!"

Harry found himself impressed and so turned on by her bravery and wisdom. He knew that what his hand was doing currently could be considered wrong, to most. But he couldn't stop now... not with Ginny so close, yet so far... sounding so passionate and beautiful... and the wonderful, dirty images running through his head.

When none of Ginny's dorm mates replied, Ginny made a disgusted sound at the back of her throat, before the sounds of her footsteps walked away, towards the bathroom. "I'm getting ready for bed... please  _don't_  mess with Harry, tomorrow. He already has enough to worry about!" She exclaimed fiercely, before slamming the bathroom door.

Her fiery attitude brought forth the memory of how gorgeous she was when she was angry.

Images of Ginny's hugs... the fact that he had noticed she wasn't wearing a bra underneath her tank top... her holding his hand... Ginny in her  _wet knickers_...! They kept running over and over again in his thoughts. And Harry braved past the thought of getting caught, before he slipped his hand into his trousers, grasping hold of his bare cock.

He brought forth a fantasy, one that he recently couldn't stop thinking about while he was wanking... it was an image of Ginny...  _her knees spread far apart... her bare cunt open wide on display for only him to see._

He imagined bending forward and spreading her pussy lips with his tongue...

Harry's hand fapped faster and faster at this image. Wondering if the skin  _'down there'_  on her, would be velvety smooth to the touch.

Harry already knew that it would be an extraordinarily, glorious time  _going down_  on Ginny... and he wondered if his imagination was the closest he would ever get to Ginny's cunny...

He tried not to dwell on that and went back to his fantasy.

_He imagined that he would delight in tasting her ever-flowing arousal, before moving up and lapping at her. Where she would scream his name at the orgasmic sensations he would give her_...

Harry felt his own sensation building in his lower stomach, climbing higher and higher until he couldn't reach any higher heights...

He let out a long guttural groan as he orgasmed, his cock spurting forth streams of his seed all over his hand and inside his trousers.

For a blissful moment, he felt nothing but satisfaction. He was running on a high that made him see stars as he closed his eyes...

But as his breathing slowed, and his heart calmed down, shame and doubt started to grow in place of the peace in his head...

Cursing, Harry retracted his hand from inside his trousers and grappled for his wand, which was in his front pocket. And cast a cleaning spell on his hand and trousers, effectively getting rid of any evidence of his randy behavior.

He couldn't  _believe_  that he _just did that_...! And on  _Ginny's bed_ , of  _all places_ , too!  _Shame_  grew heavy on his mind and started a sick feeling in his stomach.

The Dursleys were right all along... he really was a freak...

_No!_ His mind rebelled.  _He wasn't a freak!_

Despite the terrible location, what he just did was completely  _normal_. Hermione was right about that.

It may have been wrong to wank on Ginny's bed, of all the places, but it wasn't as though he intentionally set out to do it here. He should feel regret over masturbating here, but it not guilt. Because it wasn't as though he had hurt anyone.

He just had to remember in the future, that there was a time and place for this.

Harry sighed, calming down from his panic, and started to relax. Before he cast another cleaning spell on the bed, despite the fact he didn't actually get anything on it, and he was still fully clothed.

It wasn't long after when Ginny came out of the bathroom and carefully parted the curtains and climbed back into her bed.

Before either of them said a word, Ginny pulled the curtains tightly shut, before she turned back to Harry. Her eyes were still hard, as she was probably still frustrated by what had happened moments ago. And her long, red hair was piled into a complicated knot on the top of her head.

Harry was still struck by how beautiful she was. Even after the last few months, he still wasn't used to it... and he didn't think that he ever would be.

"Hey," He said, evenly. "Thanks for, you know, sticking up for me, with them."

Ginny smiled at him, her hard eyes softening. "It was nothing. You would have done the same for me, I'm sure."

Harry nodded seriously. "In a heartbeat."

And he knew it was true. If any random bloke was talking about going up to Ginny, and attack kissing her, he would have thrown a fit and very likely would hexed a whole lot of male bits, if they even dared.

They settled into conversation again. The other girls in the room had stopped playing the game, after Ginny had told them off, and was instead gossiping about random, unimportant things.

Eventually, it got to be too straining on their bodies to sit in an upright post for so long, and Ginny suggested that they lay down while they waited for the girls to fall asleep.

And so, Harry was laying next to Ginny, the both of them staring at the roof of the canopy, and laughing about complete nonsense.

...

Harry woke, feeling warm but a tad uncomfortable. At first, he was confused as to where he was, and how it had gotten to be dark and quiet in the room, when it had just been alight with candles and torches, with the chattering of teen girls in the background.

Then he felt a shifting on top of him, and he righted his glasses that were askew on his face, then peered down to see...

_Ginny!_

She was still fast asleep, her body half on top of his, and one of her legs was thrown over his lap... where his erection was poking at her skin through his trousers...

But he didn't worry about the burning in his loins at that moment. He was far too entranced by the beauty that was sleeping on top of him.

Strands of her red hair had fallen out of the knot on the top of her head. Her head was rising and falling with his every breath, as her cheek was resting on his chest. And her long lashes were fluttering as she dreamed...

He had never seen her look more peaceful and angelic.

How could he have ever been so lucky to have her in his life? He really must have done something right in his life, to deserve her presence.

A loud and lone snore suddenly escaped her, and it broke him from his trance. Harry struggled to keep his laughter at bay because the movement would jostle and wake her. It seemed that no matter how much she changed over the years, she would still carry that Weasley trait...

Harry reached for his wand and cast a tempus charm for the time. And was saddened that it was time for him to leave if he didn't want to get caught. Lest he accidentally fell asleep again.

He carefully extracted himself from underneath Ginny and grabbed one of the extra pillows to replace his body that Ginny decided was a good pillow.

And it was as he was kneeling next to her, he found himself entranced once again, as she subconsciously burrowed her head in her sleep.

So, he really couldn't help himself as he leaned forward, and gave her a lingering kiss on the cheek.

"Sweet dreams, my firecracker..."

Then he tore himself away before he would linger any longer. Grabbed the broom and basket he had brought with him, and flew out the window into the chilly air.

................

It was a couple of hours yet before dawn. So, Harry thought that it would be nice to channel the rebellious spirit of his father and Sirius and stay out even later, riding his broom for a bit.

As he thought back on the way he spent his evening, he couldn't help but smile at the fact that James Potter and Sirius Black would be immensely proud at the fact that he spent the night in the girls' dorms. And not only that but in the bed of a beautiful girl.

He wondered how they would react if they were still alive, and had somehow found out... they would no doubt tease him about it for ages, then would proceed to supply him with loads of tips and contraceptive charms.

He thought back on what Ginny had admitted was her most embarrassing moment... that Percy gave her an impromptu sex talk in a very public place and at too young of an age. And Harry couldn't help but wish that he had someone who had embarrassed him with a sex talk. Not that he wouldn't have been mortified if he ever did get one... but, it would be nice to know that someone cared about him in the way that they wished that he wouldn't prematurely mess up his life through sex...

It was now only two hours before dawn and Harry was getting cold, which no amount of warming charms could cure the bite of the wind. He decided it was time to lay down for a few hours before breakfast.

Harry flew to his dorm window, and quietly opened the clasp, and landed with his feet on the dorm floor. He dismounted his broom, and put it in his trunk, trying not to make a sound, at least not any sound that was louder than Ron's snoring. Then, he stripped down to his boxers, and climbed into bed, pulling his curtains shut tight.

Harry settled himself underneath the blankets, basking in the warmth of the thick quilt. And he casually stretched his arms, so that his head was resting on his head, wearing a satisfied smile.

Things were really starting look up for him... because if things kept going the way they were going with Ginny, maybe it wouldn't be too long before he could make his move. Then he would be Ginny's, and she would be his...

The thought sent an involuntary gleeful smile on his face. Thinking about more nights where he would wake up to find Ginny in his arms... her cheek over his heart.

The whooshing of his bed curtains being forced apart startled him out of his reverie and two hands grasped at his bare shoulders and brashly pulled him from his bed.

He was pushed against the wall forcefully, the back of his head hitting the hard stone of the castle wall...

_"Where the hell have you been, Potter?!"_ An angry voice spat in his face.

Still reeling from the dizzying sensation of hitting his head, Harry looked up to see that it was Dean who was holding him to the wall, yelling at him.

"What the  _bloody hell_.. _.?"_ Ron said, sleepily from his bed, the noise having roused him from his sleep.

_"ANSWER ME, POTTER!_ Were you trying to  _fuck_  my girlfriend?!  _Trying to make her into your little whore?!"_

Despite the ache from his head, Harry saw red at his words. And started to struggle against the hold that Dean had on him, wanting to fight him for the slanderous words he just said about Ginny.

But it seemed that he didn't have to fight back very much at all in order to get free, as Ron had run forward and tackled Dean to the floor and punched him in the face. Beating him in a classic muggle fight.

_"What did you bloody say about Ginny, you prick?!"_ Ron grabbed him by the shirt, pinning him down to the floor with his knee, then shook him violently.

Despite that a part of Harry enjoyed seeing the prat get what he deserved, he knew that he couldn't let Ron take his rage out on Dean. He staggered forward, still dizzy, and reached out with his hand on Ron's shoulder. "Ron... mate, stop it."

Ron shoved Harry's hand away and shook Dean again. _"So, help me, Thomas, you better_ _ **damn**_ _well have a good reason for calling my sister a_ _ **whore**!"_

At this point, Neville and Seamus had gotten out of their beds too and helped Harry pull Ron back. Seamus stayed behind as Harry and Neville dragged Ron out of their dormitory.

_"You don't bloody deserve her!"_ Ron snarled as they dragged him away, _"So help me, I will find a way to get you out of the picture! Your days are_ _ **numbered**_ _, you prat!"_

As soon as they lost sight of Dean, it was easier for Harry and Neville to lead Ron down to the common room, and sit him down on the couch in front of the fire.

"You aren't going to go charging up there in an angry rage, are you Ron?" Neville asked, after a minute of Ron calming his breath.

Ron scoffed, "No. Just... keep him away from me. Before I hex him into next week."

Neville nodded seriously, before going back up the stairs to see how everything was back in the dorm. Leaving Harry alone with Ron.

Harry was busy fighting his own anger with what Dean had said, to not be much help with trying to calm Ron down. So, they were both silent for a long moment, each trying to work through their rage and frustration.

"Since when was Dean such a prat?" Ron asked suddenly, his question breaking Harry's thought.

Harry shook his head in a tired way, and replied, "I think he always was one... I mean, you saw how both he and Seamus treated me when they thought that I was the heir of Slytherin during our second year..."

Ron nodded as he contemplated this. "And the beginning of last year when they didn't believe you when you said Voldemort had returned."

"Exactly," Harry said, a new wave of anger overtaking him.

They thought on this for another long moment, before Ron suddenly made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat.

"I hate him with Ginny!" He raged. "She deserves so much better than him. At least someone that will treat her with respect! I just wish that _you_ would-"

Ron cut himself off, looking as though he had been about to say something that he wasn't supposed to. Harry looked at him inquisitively. "You just wish that I would what, Ron?"

Ron swallowed heavily and ran a hand down his face. "It's nothing, mate… Just forget that I said anything."

Frowning, Harry found that he didn't want to just forget it. Something inside him told him that he shouldn't let this go. "No. Tell me what you were going to say."

It was obvious to Harry that he was making Ron feel distinctly uncomfortable, but he found that he didn't care. He had lost his patience for things when he had been attacked by Dean up in the dorm room. So, Harry evenly stared at Ron in an expectant way, watching him fidget in discomfort.

_"Fine!"_ Ron finally said, "But  _you_  asked me to say it. So, don't get all mad at me if you don't like what I'm about to say."

Harry nodded seriously, accepting the conditions and ramifications of what he was about to hear. Ron took a deep breath before continuing. "I was going to say that I just wish that  _you_  fancied Ginny…"

Harry's jaw  _dropped_.

"I mean, you have to look at it from my point of view, Harry!" Ron continued quickly, misinterpreting Harry's shocked expression. "You two are obviously perfect, in my opinion. I mean, who better deserving for my sister than my best mate? Someone I can trust to treat my sister right and is already close to the family. Hell, you  _are_  family, Harry!"

Harry opened his mouth to intervene, but Ron didn't give him the chance as he continued his passionate monologue. "In a way, I understand why Dean is so jealous of you when it comes to Ginny. I mean, Ginny has fancied you for  _years_  now! And if anyone could get Ginny to split up with Dean, it would be  _you_. I think that for her, it will _always_ be you…"

Harry couldn't really find the words… He was in absolute shock at all that Ron was revealing to him. To think that all this time, he could have confided in his best mate and told him how he felt about his sister. He had been afraid over nothing! Ron wasn't  _angry_  at the thought of Harry and Ginny together! In fact, he was  _bloody_  well  _encouraging it!_

Despite himself, Harry couldn't help but burst out laughing at the bubbling joy that threatened to boil over in the pit of his stomach.  _Because Ron wanted him to be with Ginny!_

"Well, you don't have to go laughing at what I think…" Ron said, offended, "Is the thought of being with Ginny really that weird for you? Because I think that if you only just spent some time alone with her, then you could change your mind! I mean, she _did_ do some growing up this summer, and she has a nice face…"

With each word that Ron spoke, Harry couldn't help but laugh harder. With it going so far to the point where he had to clutch at his sides, for fear that he would burst.

"Oh, come on!" Ron exclaimed, annoyance in his tone. "You won't even reconsider? Not even for your best mate, you wouldn't-"

_"No!_ No, Ron!" Harry managed to say, as he tried to calm himself with great effort. "You don't understand…! I  _do_  fancy Ginny!"

It was Ron's turn for his jaw to drop, as his eyes bugged out wide. "Y-you  _do?!"_

Harry nodded happily, now excited that he didn't have to keep it secret from Ron anymore. "I was so afraid to tell you, too. I thought that you would murder me for even daring to fancy your sister… you don't know how relieved I am to hear that you are alright with it."

Now, Ron just looked confused. "B-but if you fancy her… then… then… _WHY THE BLOODY HELL HAVEN'T YOU MADE YOUR MOVE?!"_

Staggering back at the sudden verbal accusation, Harry scrambled to reply. "Because Hermione told me that she had moved on from me when she found out-"

"Wait!" Ron interrupted, _"Hermione_  knows?!"

Harry looked at him, deadpanned, wondering if he was serious. "Hermione knows everything."

It only took a few seconds for Ron to think that over before he nodded. "True."

"Anyway, Hermione told me that Ginny had moved on with Dean… and when I implied that I wanted to try and steal Ginny from Dean, she scolded me about, 'how I would feel if Ginny was my girlfriend, and some other bloke came along and tried to break us up…' Or something along those lines."

"To hell with that logic!" Ron bellowed, "In fact, I'm going to help you! With the both of us working at it, it won't be long before we get Ginny and Dean broken up!"

A mischievous grin grew on Ron's face that would make Fred, George, and Ginny all proud. With the moral support from his best mate, Harry felt his resolve breaking.

"Fine, but we have to do this the right way. Because Hermione does have a point… and I want to be worthy of Ginny. I want her to actually start to  _like_  me again before she and Dean break up…"

Ron scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I doubt that she ever  _stopped_  fancying you. Even if she is in denial, and is lying to herself to make herself feel better, she still has feelings for you."

Hope started to spark in his chest. "You really think so?"

Ron looked at him in a very serious manner. "Harry… If I know my sister at all – which, I do – I know that she always had and always will have a thing for Harry Potter. No amount of random boyfriends will ever change that fact. Because it was just like I said before. In her eyes, it will only ever be you…"

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A/N: Please Review! :)

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	16. Chapter 16

 

 

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Chapter Sixteen

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Though his head was killing him, Harry and Ron waited in anticipation for Ginny to come downstairs as they sat in the Great Hall. They couldn't wait to finish something that shouldn't have ever started...

Which was Ginny and Dean's 'relationship'.

They had both formulated some sort of plan in the rest of the wee hours of the morning... They would discreetly let Ginny know what Dean had done last night, and then she would hopefully realize how much of a cad he was and break up with him. Then Harry could swoop in and start the process of working his way into her heart.

It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was a start.

Harry was feeling a lot more confident. He really couldn't believe how free he felt since getting Ron's blessing. To think he could have saved himself from so much stress and worry...

A pang in his head interrupted his thoughts and Harry rubbed at the back of his head, distractedly.

"Alright, mate?" Ron asked him, concerned.

Harry nodded absentmindedly, rubbing at the large bump that had grown on the back of his head. If he were being honest, it did hurt but it wasn't anything much worse than what he used to get from his beatings from Uncle Vernon...

Violently shuddering at some of the horrible memories from his childhood, Harry forcefully pushed them away.

"Look!" Ron hissed at him, his eyes directed away from Harry now, getting his attention once again. "There she is!"

Harry's head snapped up to the door of the dining hall, and once again found himself in a stupor...

She was so beautiful... the last he had seen her, her hair had been falling out of a complicated knot. But now, it was in one long, messy braid which rested over her shoulder. She was walking with Collin Creevey and was laughing wildly at what he was saying. While his heart melted at her laugh, his cock gave a significant twitch in his pants at the sight of her in her school uniform...

Seeing as the Weasleys weren't the wealthiest family around, sometimes they went without when they needed new things. Ginny's skirt was an example of this. She still wore the same uniform that she had last year, even though she had grown taller this last summer because they couldn't afford a new uniform for her just yet.

Harry would have offered to pay for it himself if he didn't already know that they would never accept it. Also, he found that he got to reap some benefits from the situation, seeing as he got to enjoy the sight of Ginny in a short skirt all semester long.

His thoughts stopped short as he saw Ginny sit at the opposite end of the long Gryffindor table with Collin... and despite himself, he felt the pang of disappointment that Ginny chose not to sit next to him. Of course, she wasn't obligated to, nor did he make plans with her to eat breakfast together. And she had every right to go and sit with her own friends. But he still couldn't help but feel a bit...  _rejected_  that she didn't even come to say hello to him.  _Especially_  after how they spent the night together last night.

And really, her sitting with them at breakfast was the basis of their entire plan to  _casually_  mention Dean's actions last night.

Now, it couldn't be casual if they had to walk all the way to her and inform her of it...

Ron must have seen the look of hurt and doubt on Harry's face, because he said, "I'll go talk to her about it. She already knows that I don't like Dean anyways."

Beads of sweat started to gather at his brow, and he found that it was difficult for him to concentrate on what Ron was saying, as his words got all hazy and blurred together. Finally, after a moment, Harry's mind caught up with Ron's words, and he nodded as Ron stood... he tried to distinctly concentrate on his plate of food as Ron walked away.

He was tempted to peek over at Ginny and Ron as they spoke, to assess Ginny's reaction, but instead, he focused on picking apart his food, not really having much of an appetite due to what he thought to be his nerves.

But without any distraction from Ron or Ginny, Harry found that he could only concentrate on the pounding in his head. The ache was starting to spread from the back of his head to the front. He put down his fork and rubbed at his temples, trying to ease away the pain. Grateful that at least it wasn't anywhere near as bad as the pain in his scar at times.

The giggling of girls from the Ravenclaw table momentarily distracted him. He looked up to see that it was Romilda Vane and her friends that were giggling to themselves as they looked at him. No doubt noticing that he was alone at the table...

"Hi, Harry!" Romilda greeted cheerfully, as she wiggled her fingers at him in flirtatious greeting.

Her cheerfulness, however, caused his head to hurt worse.

Harry rubbed at the bridge of his nose, behind his glasses, and with the other hand, gave them a half-wave.

They all squealed in response, but Harry chose to zone them out... the noise really making his head pound.

Suddenly, a soft hand threaded in his hair, feeling and rubbing at the back of his head. Harry started, thinking that it was some random girl trying to flirt with him.

But before he could turn and see who it was, the light fingertips found the painful spot at the back of his head, and Harry saw white spots in his vision at the pain it brought. He hissed at the agony, and the fingers quickly retreated from the spot.

_"Ronald Weasley!"_ A beautiful, irate voice hissed. "He has a _bump_ on the back of his head! Why didn't you think to bring him to the hospital wing?!"

Harry turned his head slightly and his heart jumped to see that it was Ginny who had her hand in his hair. Her eyes were alight with the most glorious fire and Harry found himself bewitched...

"He never said anything!" Ron argued back.

Ginny scoffed, rolling her eyes in an adorable way. "Well, of course, he wouldn't! This is  _Harry_  we're talking about! He wouldn't complain if he had blood running down his leg! And even then, he would _still_ insist that he was still fine!" Ginny scolded.

"You know that I'm right here..." Harry slurred, reminding them both, which turned out to be the wrong thing to say as Ginny turned her wrath on him, leaving him feeling both stunned and terrified at the same time.

"Right," Ginny said, angrily. "Which is exactly where you  _shouldn't_  be, seeing as you  _should_  have been a patient in the hospital wing  _hours ago_!"

Ginny reached down and started to tug at his elbow, forcing him to his feet. "Come on, I'll take you."

Ron rushed to Harry's other side, helping him to stand, as he was now rather dizzy and was tumbling about. "Here, let me help you!"

But Ginny shooed him away, as soon as she had Harry steady. "I think that you've done enough, you prat! And you call yourself his best friend...!" Ginny said as she started to lead Harry away. The look on Ron's face was rather priceless to Harry, but he knew that Ginny didn't mean for the words to be taken to heart, nor did Ron take them as such.

"Of all the irresponsible, _barmy_ things to do when your best mate hits his head...!" Ginny muttered as they walked out of the dining hall, sounding very much like Mrs. Weasley at that moment.

But no amount of pain could keep the smile off of Harry's face while he tried to keep as much of his weight off of Ginny as he could, as he leaned on her for support.

Because it seemed as though she really did care...

...............

Ginny  _had_  been having a good morning.

She had woken up relaxed and rested, having had a pleasant dream that she couldn't remember... but she knew that it had been a good dream. Not a nightmare of her memory of the chamber... which she still had from time to time.

As she had stretched her limbs and yawned, she tried to remember falling asleep, but she couldn't... but then a flash of memory came back to her and she remembered Harry... how his eyes had drooped adorably before he had nodded off. She remembered how she wanted to let him sleep for a bit before waking him to leave.

But that obviously didn't happen as Ginny must have fallen asleep herself. She noticed that Harry had left sometime in the night, from his lack of presence, and she found herself simultaneously relieved and saddened by this.

Ginny didn't know much about how she felt about the flashes of  _formerly buried feelings_  that had accosted her recently, but she did know that it made her feel more than a little uneasy.

Where her morning started to take a turn for the worse was when she was walking down the corridors for breakfast. And Malfoy came out of nowhere and started to harass her...

_"I had my mother send this for you. As you can see, it has the Malfoy crest."_ He had said, as he tried to hand her a hideously, green broach necklace...

A disgusted sound had escaped her as she pushed his outstretched hand away. _"Are you completely_ _ **barmy**_ _in the head?! Why in_ _ **Merlin's name**_ _would I ever take anything from_ _ **you**?!"_

Draco had sneered at the insult, as he had replied, _"If you were smart, you would stick to me as though you were attached by a sticking charm. Especially with who you associate yourself with... not only is your entire family blood traitors, but it is widely known in the pureblood community that the lot of you took in Potter as one of your own. That is a dangerous and idiotic thing to do... even by pureblood standards, that is unforgivable. Especially with what is coming..."_

As he spoke, something had stopped Ginny from turning her wand on him. As she looked back at her memory of it, she realized that it had been genuine  _fear_  in his eyes as he mentioned that something was coming...

_"What exactly are you talking about, Malfoy?"_ Ginny had asked him, trying to probe him for more information.

A part of the tension in Malfoy's shoulders had melted away as he took a step closer to her, getting into her personal space. _"These are dangerous times, Weasley. And no amount of training in Dumbledore's Army will save any of you... but, if you associate yourself with me, I promise that I can protect you. I can't say the same about your family, and you will have to prepare yourself in knowing that Potter will most assuredly die-"_

It was at that point where she had enough and was about to whip her wand out on him, but a curse shot out from behind her, hitting Malfoy right in the crotch.

_" **Score**_ _for Gryffindor!"_ Collin had exclaimed, putting his wand away. The ferret had fallen over in pain, his hand covering his crotch.

After that, Collin had led Ginny away as Malfoy muttered in pain about  _filthy mudbloods._

Ginny was a little confused about what had happened, so when she asked Collin what he had done to Malfoy as they were walking into the dining hall, he replied, _"Oh, that. Well, let's just say that Malfoy is more_ _ **female**_ _than_ _ **male**_ _at the moment..."_

Ginny burst out into hysterical laughter at that revelation and sat down with Collin, wanting to hear more about the spell he had used.

But she hadn't had much of a chance to hear about it, because Ron had come over not long after.

_"Ginevra,"_ Ron had called her, which really caused her hackles to rise, as just the sound of her birth name made her mood instantly plummet. Ron was very well aware of this, which meant he was either displeased with her or was actively trying to annoy her. _"We need to talk about your boyfriend."_

Ginny really couldn't help but roll her eyes at that. _"What exactly did he do? Use up all the hot water in the shower this morning?"_

Ron frowned, his own annoyance had shown in his eyes. _"No. He attacked Harry last night."_

Ginny was shocked. That was the only emotion she could muster at the time. But while she was shocked, Collin seemed outraged.

_"No! He didn't!"_ Collin had raged, then turned to Ginny. _"He hasn't hurt you, has he?"_

Ginny had slowly shaken her head no, still not able to believe it. Ron had to be setting her up or...  _something!_

Ron nodded smartly, reminding her of Pompous Percy whenever he had told on them as kids... _"The git pulled Harry up from his bed and threw him against the wall! And demanded where he was, and asked Harry if he was making you a whore! Now, what exactly are you going to do about it?!"_

She still couldn't understand... how exactly did this happen?  _Why_  did this happen?

But then she had found her eyes searching... searching the long Gryffindor table for him. And when her eyes had finally found him, his hands had been cradling his head.

_"What's wrong with Harry?"_ Ginny had asked Ron, afraid to hear the answer.

Ron's gaze had followed her own and frowned. _"I think he hit his head when Dean smashed him up against the wall..."_

Before Ron had even finished his sentence, Ginny had been standing and hurried to him... for some reason, she had been feeling...  _frantic_.

But as she thought on it now, of course she would feel that way! Harry was her friend! Why wouldn't she be concerned about his well-being?

But it was his well-being that was in dangerous territory because of  _her_  boyfriend... and what he did.

The thought had still left her in a state of shock. She really thought that she knew Dean... _really_ knew him. But apparently, she didn't. Not really... now she had to decide what to do about her boyfriend, and before she even had a lot of time to think over the answer, she knew what she had to do.

She had to break up with Dean...

She really didn't know what to feel about the situation. She wasn't exactly sad about it, seeing as she had barely even dated Dean for very long. And the majority of their time together was spent apart for the summer holiday.

She couldn't even find herself feeling as angry as she usually would be for what Dean had done. Because she was too worried about Harry to feel any other emotion besides it.

It was as she was thinking all of this, where Ginny found herself helping a stumbling Harry Potter down the corridors to the hospital wing...

"You alright there, Harry?" She asked him again, wondering if she had been stupid to deny Ron's help... but at the moment, she was far too angry with her prat of a brother. But she couldn't deny that she was struggling...

A testament to that fact was that Harry's nose was firmly implanted behind her ear, in order to help keep him upright.

In reply to her question, Harry gave a very large sniff. "You smell  _pretty_... like the - like the flowers at the burrow..."

This reply didn't help Ginny at all with her worry... disorientation couldn't be a good sign...

But she couldn't deny the shot of thrill she had gotten from his words.

"Gin...ney?" Harry hiccuped.

Ginny sighed, as she tried to balance them once more... she could have sworn that she was taking care of a drunk person...

"Yes, Harry?" Ginny indulged him.

Harry swallowed heavily, before saying, "I wanna tell you somethin'... it's a secret..." Harry broke off as he giggled madly, which had Ginny floundering to come to terms with common sense. Because Harry. Actually.  _Giggled_.. _.!_

She had never heard such a noise come out of his mouth. But Ginny found her curiosity piqued. Harry was keeping a secret?

"A secret?" She asked.

She felt Harry nod against her neck, as he laughed more, his breath tickling her ear. "A  _big_  secret... Been wanting to tell you for  _ages_... _!"_

Despite herself, Ginny found herself...  _hurt_  by his revelation. Harry was keeping things from her? Or was it just his likely concussion talking?

"Harry? Ginny?" A voice ahead of them cut off what Ginny knew was about to be encouragement for Harry to continue, on her part. She wanted to find out what Harry was hiding...

Ginny held in the regretful sigh as she looked ahead and saw that it was Neville who was obviously walking down to the dining hall for breakfast. She found herself disappointed that he had interrupted. "Hi, Neville."

Neville didn't return the greeting, as he looked on at them worriedly.

"Is Harry alright?"

Harry rolled his head slightly off of Ginny's shoulder. But when he spotted Neville, his face brightened. _"Neville!_ M-my hero!"

Then he turned his head back to Ginny, speaking loudly in her ear, "Neville helped me to save Ron from the giant, evil prat! And I'm not talking about Voldemort either..."

Neville turned his questioning eyes to Ginny.

"I think he may have gotten a concussion last night..." Ginny informed Neville.

Neville's eyes widened and immediately hurried forward, "Here, let me help you!"

Neville grabbed onto Harry's other side, and together they helped hold Harry upright as they brought him to the hospital wing. It was a difficult and long time before they finally made it, and Ginny found herself wondering how she had managed to get Harry as far as she had by herself.

As soon as they had stepped foot inside the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey was walking out of her office and rushed forward as soon as she had caught sight of them.

"Good Heavens!" She exclaimed, grabbing Harry and leading him over towards an empty bed. "What in Merlin's name did you do to yourself this time, Mr. Potter?!"

She forced Harry to lay down, and Harry closed his eyes as soon as his head hit the pillow.

"I think he may have gotten a concussion last night... and he has a large bump on the back of his head," Ginny informed the mediwitch, and Madam Pomfrey started frantically at that information and snapped Harry awake.

"There will be no sleeping until we get you sorted out Mr. Potter!" Madame Pomfrey scolded. "Now, did you sleep at all after you hit your head?"

Harry shook his head no, now looking less disoriented and more sick to his stomach, than anything.

"You should have come as soon as you had injured yourself, Mr. Potter, the brain is such a fragile thing and an injury to it is no joking manner!"

Harry merely groaned in response, one of his hands coming up to rub at his temple. Ginny could only look on, worriedly. 

"Now there can be none of that, you must hold still while my wand does a diagnosis of your brain."

Harry seemed to not be able to comprehend what she was saying, so Ginny reached out and grabbed his hand, keeping his hand away from his face. Harry squeezed her fingers tight as Madam Pomfrey cast a series of spells over Harry's head. Including a spell that made his mind less hazy. His hand felt... nice. _Warm._ As Madam Pomfrey cast her spells, Neville told Ginny that he was going to go tell McGonagall that she and Harry were in the hospital wing and would be excused for classes. Ginny had only nodded in reply, her eyes intent on Harry's pained face. She didn't hear Neville leave.

"Well, it seems that you do have a concussion, dear... sit tight while I get some healing potions for you to drink. I'll make you right as rain, Mr. Potter, though I have no doubt you'll somehow find yourself in a bed in my ward once again, this year..."

Harry rolled his eyes slightly at the mediwitch's prediction and Ginny couldn't help but smile at the action. Madam Pomfrey's simple spells seemed to have done Harry wonders already and she was relieved that he was going to be alright.

A long groan came from another bed in the far corner, but Ginny didn't concern herself with it. Instead, she rubbed her fingers through Harry's dense hair and traced her fingers over his scalp.

"It will only take another hour for the counter-potion to work its magic, Mr. Thomas." Madam Pomfrey told the other patient in the back corner.

Ginny's head snapped up and whipped over to look at the boy in question. At the sight of him, a red haze threatened to overtake her for what he had done to Harry... but Dean didn't look much better than Harry did. His left eye was bruised and swollen, meaning that someone had punched him in the face. And he looked positively sick to his stomach.

"What happened to Dean?" Ginny asked Madam Pomfrey before she could go into the back and get the potions she needed. Madam Pomfrey paused and looked at Ginny. 

"The poor dear was slipped an Angerall Potion in his tea last night... went into a blind rage, he did. But it makes you very sick as the effects begin to fade." Madam Pomfrey explained, before rushing into the back room for Harry's potions. Leaving Ginny behind in a state of speechlessness.

Ginny sat there in complete silence for a very long moment, not knowing what to think.

Then she suddenly found herself standing, letting go of Harry's hand, which seemed to startle him out of his own trance.

"Gin..." He said weakly, reaching his hand out again in offering, questions in his eyes.

At the sight of his outstretched hand, a flash of desire for her to reach out and take it again overtook her. Things were starting to come into perspective for her... the heat and electric feeling she got from his touch... the appreciation she felt at him not treating her like a child... him believing in her capabilities and her being pleased by that fact... her desire to just want to make Harry happy, and her sadness at the terrible things in his life... She was shocked to find that she had been slowly falling for Harry Potter, yet again... unbeknownst to her realizing that it was actually happening...!

She was almost startled when he reached forward further with his hand, even more insistent. She very nearly stumbled over her chair in her haste to back away, as though she were afriad that his hand would grow fangs to bite her with.

She couldn't believe that this was happening.

No... no, no, no,  _NO!_

She thought that she had gotten over this... over  _him!_ She  _had_  moved on... was finally at a place where she was comfortable just being his friend. Why did such a stupid thing as  _feelings_  have to come in and muck everything up for her! Why did such a simple thing as holding a friend's hand while they were in the hospital wing have to be so complicated for her?

But it _was_ complicated. But not because it was _her_... it was because it was _Harry_. It was  _always_  Harry. Why did it always have to be Harry? Especially since he didn't feel an inkling of what she felt for him.

So, Ginny didn't accept his hand. Because to him, it meant nothing... but for her, it signified so much more than just two friends holding hands. She could, even now, feel the ache of her feelings for him threaten to come forward. And it terrified her. Terrified her to no end.

Why did he have to be so kind? So charming? ...So entirely unaware of what he was doing to her...? How his very presence threatened to shatter her heart into pieces, yet again. It left her feeling overwhelmed. So, she didn't accept his hand. Instead, she rejected his offering with her very words. Even though it pained her to say them, she knew that it would save her from even more heartbreak in the end...

"I can't, Harry... Not now, I'm sorry."

His entire face crumbled in hurt and pain, and she knew that while his injury was painful for him, he must feel that she is rejecting their friendship. Either way, she couldn't bear to see his wide and pained green eyes looking at her with so much sorrow. So, she turned away... feeling mighty guilty as she did it.

Harry had been turned away from many people in his life... rejected away as though he were nothing. Especially from his Muggle relatives, _the Dursleys._ But she needed time to think... reflect on her own. She needed space away from Harry Potter in order to stop the feelings inside of her that were threatening to burst out.

She  _had_  to do this... in order to save their friendship.

And so, Ginny walked away, walked towards the bed in the back corner...

When she came up to his bed, she noticed that his eye looked worse up close.

"Ginny," Dean sighed, as soon as he saw her come close. When she stopped a foot away from his bed, he reached his hand out to her. No doubt hoping that she would come closer. "I'm so sorr-"

"I have something to say." Ginny interrupted him, not wanting to wait to get this out.

Dean looked at her for a long moment before he nodded, hesitation palpable in his eyes...

Ginny took a deep breath before she began.

"You not only hurt Harry, but you hurt me with your actions."

Dean's eyes shot open wide and he opened his mouth to interrupt.

"No. You don't get to speak. Not yet." Ginny said, firmly, putting up her hand to stop whatever it was he was about to say. "Harry is really close to not only me but to my entire family. And it upsets me that you contributed to making his hard life even more difficult by heckling him and giving him a concussion!"

Despite her not wanting him to interrupt, he did so anyway. Sitting up straight in his bed as he spoke. "That's not  _my_  fault, Ginny! Didn't you hear Madam Pomfrey? I was slipped an Angerall Potion!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Feeling very annoyed, but secretly glad that the emotion was distracting her from any other feelings that she has been experiencing lately towards Harry... "Despite Potions being my worst class, I still pay attention. The Angerall Potion doesn't create anger towards a target out of nowhere! The drinker of the potion feels angry at people that they already have issues with. The potion merely amplifies it. So, it may not be your fault that you physically attacked Harry, but you  _do_  have a problem with him. And the potion may force the words out of you in the heat of the moment, but it comes from a place inside of you that means that you really believe them. So, tell me... do you really think that Harry is trying to make me out to be a  _whore?!"_

Dean stared at her with wide, bewildered eyes for a very long moment, as Ginny gave him a just as long, albeit hard, glare. Finally, Dean started to sputter, "Wh- _what?!_ I've never said... I mean, I would never  _dream_ -"

An angry voice, from the other side of the room, suddenly burst out firmly, "Don't you _dare_ lie to her, Thomas." Harry said, as he shakily got out of bed, and made his way over to them.

Ginny's heart leaped up to her throat at the sound of his voice, but she was instantly worried about his health. So, she turned her anger for Dean on Harry, as she whipped around to face him. _"Harry Potter!_ You get back into that bed this  _instant!"_

But Harry ignored her, coming up right beside her, trying to stand firm and talk as he glared at Dean. She tried not to fidget from his close proximity to her, as she found the urge to reach out to him as well.

Dean glared right back at Harry and sneered. "Ran right up to Ginny, didn't you, Potter? Telling her stories that aren't true..."

Ginny whipped her gaze off of Harry at that, her eyes instantly suspicious. "Harry didn't tell me anything about it. It was actually Ron that told me the whole story..." She watched as Dean frowned at this revelation and frowned as well. "Are you saying that my brother is a liar, too?"

She was eager to hear his explanation... waiting to hear what sort of shotty excuse he would come up with. The blood in her veins, going through her heart, was beating loudly in her ears with her anger. She actually marveled at how level headed she came across, while on the inside she was about to boil over.

But Dean didn't have the chance to answer, as Harry scoffed, "Apparently, everyone is a liar, except for him..."

Ginny remained quiet, waiting for Dean's answer. Before Dean finally sighed.

"I never said that I didn't say it..." Dean finally admitted, quietly. Looking quite ashamed.

"But Ginny..." He said quickly, reaching out and grabbing her hand anyway, grasping it tightly. "We all say a lot of things that we don't mean in anger... and I really didn't mean it! You have to know that I don't think that about you! Besides, look at the other night, for example. You said some mean things to Ron, but you didn't mean them..."

"Don't you try to compare that to your screw up!" Harry interrupted again, his face looking flushed with an attractive reddish color, his green eyes flashing bright... "That's like comparing apples and oranges. The big difference is that Ginny instantly regretted her words and felt bad about them."

Dean's face twisted in indignation, "I regret my words! But while I regret the actual words, doesn't mean that I regret keeping tabs on you regarding my girlfriend, Potter!"

Harry's face turned even redder, and Ginny knew he must feel embarrassed by Dean's delusional theory that Harry fancied her... "Enough. I'm right here, no need to talk in circles around me..."

Ginny suddenly felt very tired... and she wondered where her good day had gone. Her anger melted away as she felt her mind grow weary. But luckily, both of the sixth year boys stayed silent as Ginny reached up with her hand, and rubbed at her temple.

"I'm going to class." Ginny finally announced, breaking the silence. "I already missed yesterday, and I can't afford to miss another day."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry nod in understanding. Though she tried not to look at him... "That's a good idea. No reason you should have to stick around here if you don't have to..." Harry chuckled as he tried to jest with her, but she found that she didn't have the energy to muster even a snort.

Ginny turned to leave the hospital wing, but a tug on where her hand was still grasped in Dean's stalled her. "Ginny..." Dean said pleadingly, his eyes sad and desperate. "Please. Tell me where your thoughts are on us. Please don't say that you're breaking up with me for this..."

Behind her, she heard Harry scoff indignantly, but Ginny tried to force her mind to ignore him. And she focused all of her attention on Dean. "I don't think you realize how much this hurt me..." She told him, honestly. She sighed heavily and took her hand away from his grasp. "I need some time... to think. I just need to be by myself. This is just all too much to process right now."

Then she turned to walk slowly away. But as she passed by Harry, he reached out his hand to stroke her arm with his fingers as she passed. Almost as though he wanted to grab her hand, but thought against it before he did. And as she went by him, she knew that she needed time away from him as well. To sort out her feelings for Harry and try to find a way to get rid of them again.

Because nothing was worse than a Ginny Weasley when she was pining after Harry Potter...

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A/N: Please Review! :)

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	17. Chapter 17

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Chapter Seventeen

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Harry Potter could not keep still. Every time he tried, his arms and fingers would twitch excessively from worry. He would constantly shift positions in his bed in the hospital wing, never quite able to get comfortable.

Which was a long time to lay down in discomfort... seeing as his stay in the hospital wing has been three days, so far.

Hermione and Ron came every day to visit him. Separately, of course, seeing as Ron was still dating Lavender and Hermione couldn't stand her being around, speaking to Ron in babying tones.

Hermione had ranted to Harry about all of this, of course. And he listened attentively, glad of the distraction from the dull hospital wing.

Luckily, Hermione also brought Harry his homework, as well as the detailed notes she took on rolls upon rolls of parchment paper.

It was during one of her visits, she had commented that he seemed rather frantic and antsy.

But he really couldn't help it... Ginny hadn't visited him in the hospital wing at all... and it had been three days since he had last seen her. It was now Friday... and the only coveted sight of red hair he had gotten was from Ron's visits... which didn't help with his predicament at all.

He had asked Ron why Ginny hadn't come to visit him, and Ron had responded that he hadn't the faintest idea. But he tried to reassure Harry that he had talked to Ginny, to try and persuade her to come visit him... Ron had said this as though it were a good thing. But it really only made Harry worry worse. Knowing that Ginny knew that he wanted her to visit him, but she actively decided not to.

What did he do to make her not want to spend time with him? Was he too harsh when they confronted Dean? Or did she want to confront Dean on her own, and was upset that Harry joined in on it as well?

He could honestly say that he didn't know. He was so confused at these turn of events. Everything had been going so well! He had thought that, at the very least, she liked to spend time with him... as friends, for the most part. Enough that she would at least check up on how he was doing with his head injury.

But instead, he was left with nothing but disappointment.

He sighed as he lay on his side, closing his eyes to try and have sleep find him. When a hand lightly touched his shoulder.

Harry turned his head, only to find Madam Pomfrey standing over him, a warm smile on her face.

"I figured that you weren't sleeping, seeing as you would sigh heavily every other minute, Mr Potter..." She said this in a mockingly reprimanding tone, but Harry's face still coloured and he dropped his gaze guiltily.

"Now, there is a visitor at the door for you, if you are up for it." Madam Pomfrey continued after a minute passed with no response from him.

Harry perked up at the prospects of a visitor. He really wasn't sure if Ron or Hermione would show up today...

"Oh?" Harry asked, excitedly, "Who is it?"

Madam Pomfrey gave him an odd, knowing smile. "A young lady. Looked right determined to come talk to you, actually."

Harry froze and his heart thudded in his chest.

It _couldn't_ be... could it? Had she finally decided to come? What would he say to her if she did? Would he ask why it took her so long? Or would he play it cool, and just be glad that she came at all?

All that Harry knew was that all was instantly forgiven when it came to Ginny. And that he would accept any excuse that she had to give him if she had one at all...

She was his firecracker, after all. And she lit up his life.

"Yes, please. Send her in!" Harry replied enthusiastically to Madam Pomfrey.

She nodded her head and turned to grab Ginny, who was waiting at the door. As the matron went to go get his Ginny, Harry positioned himself in an upright position, his hands busying themselves with trying to flatten his erratic bed hair.

He may be in a hospital bed, but he still wanted to look nice for the girl that he fancied.

There were all sorts of butterflies fluttering around in his stomach, making him jittery in his excitement.

Then he realized that his vision was blurred and fumbled with his hand to try and find his glasses on the nightstand table.

It was as he found them, and scrambled to put them on his face, he sensed her approach. His vision was righted once again, and he beamed at her...

Which froze on his face, and he found that the butterflies in his stomach, died.

"Hi, Harry," Cho greeted him, nervously. Her fingers twisting at the fabric of her skirt. She gave him a fleeting smile, that had only one upturned corner of her lips.

Disappointment flashed heavily through him... so much so, that he slumped against the pillows of his bed.

"Hi, Cho..." Harry said back, not even bothering to hide his contempt from his falsely risen hopes.

Cho bit her bottom lip and fidgeted slightly before taking two steps closer, and finally asked, "How are you feeling?"

Harry shrugged one shoulder, as he relaxed further into the pillows. "Honestly? Like I should have been discharged days ago... but you know Madam Pomfrey..."

Cho shook her head, looking around the ward with new eyes. "No, actually. I don't. I've never had a trip to the hospital wing before..." Then she turned to him, a humorous look in her eye, "But I heard that you have been here quite frequently."

As she said this, she came even closer and took the liberty of sitting down in the chair next to his bed.

For some reason Harry found her comment to be very irritating, and he shifted uncomfortably. She would be a frequent visitor to the hospital wing, too, if she had a 'Dark Wizard' that wanted her dead...

"What brings you here _now,_ then?" Harry asked, a slight sharpness to his tone.

Cho bit her lip again and reached out and took his hand. "I thought it obvious..." She said, leaning forward slightly, as she licked her lips nervously. "I came here to see you."

Then she leaned forward quickly, like a cobra snapping at its prey, and  _kissed_  him...  _AGAIN!_

Harry turned his face away as soon as it had happened, the very moment their lips touched, and felt his anger building in his chest, threatening to burst out. "DAMMIT, Cho!"

Her kiss was as wet as the first time they had kissed... and Harry knew that it was because she had licked her lips beforehand. His stomach roiled in disgust, as he wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "Would you just  ** _stop_** _kissing_  me?!"

Cho just sat there, staring at him with wide eyes. Shock and confusion evident on her face. "Bu-but I thought that you wanted me to..."

Harry glared at her, hard. "Well, I never said that I wanted it, did I? In fact, I told you on the train that I only wanted to be friends... now I don't even think that I want to be that!"

Cho's expression hardened now, as well. "And I told you that we hadn't even had the chance to really get to know each other, yet! If you would just  _try,_ you would see-"

"What if I don't  _want_  to try?" Harry interrupted, arguing right back. Remembering Ginny's words telling him to fight back on what he wants, and to not just give in. He tried to pry his hand out from under hers, but she held on, clasping tight... squeezing so hard, that it actually hurt his knuckles.

"I just don't understand...!" Cho stressed, "You liked me so much... you could barely take your eyes off of me..."

At his questioning look, she clarified. "Yes. I noticed, Harry. The way that you stared... it really made me feel special. Even when I was with Cedric, I always knew that a large part of me wanted to be with you instead. Don't you want to be with me as well?"

Harry steeled himself and said firmly, "No."

It took a moment, before Cho's face crumbled as tears started to leak out of her eyes. "Where did it all go so  _wrong?"_ Cho sniffled. "You used to like me... you were practically obsessed with me!"

Harry had thought that at the sight of her tears, he would instantly feel uncomfortable... as he normally did. But the discomfort didn't come, and he didn't feel as though he should cave into its demands any longer. He felt the way that he felt, and tears would dictate that no longer.

Ginny had been right. He had to stick by his feelings and decisions, and stay resolute in them.

"I was only fourteen then, Cho," Harry informed her, "I didn't know what I wanted in anything, let alone if I actually wanted you... There was a time where I thought that I did...  _want_  you, that is. But I realized that I wasn't capable of real feelings then. And I'm not capable of them for you now. And never in the future, as well."

Cho's head fell forward into one of her hands, sobbing into it, with the other still tightly clasping his. And Harry did feel a slight discomfort now, watching her outright cry, but he stood his ground. He was doing this for not only himself but for Ginny as well... to prove some part of his worth to her. That he would fight any obstacle to be with her.

Harry waited until Cho calmed down a bit to sniffles, before slowly taking his hand away from under her grasp.

Cho wiped at her puffy, red eyes and sniffed a few times, before she whispered, "If you ever change your mind..."

Harry shook his head slowly, no longer feeling any anger towards her... only pity. "I won't." Then he swallowed heavily and prepared for the final blow to the nail of the coffin that held the possibility of any relationship between them. "And I never will see you in that way again, Cho."

Scoffing at that, Cho shook her head and replied, "You never know. People change all of the time, Harry. And you can grow to love me."

Getting irritated at her again, from her words, was hardly a feat. Why couldn't she just let it go? Let  _him_  go.

"I-I'm in love with someone else..." Harry suddenly blurted out.

After he said it, the words shocked him, as it wasn't really what he had intended to tell Cho... he had originally planned to just say that he fancied someone else. But Harry realized, to his shock, that he really meant what he said... and how right his words felt...

It left him feeling terrified and so alive at the same time.

He was in love.

With Ginny.

Harry James Potter was in love with Ginevra Molly Weasley.

"Wh-what?" Cho stuttered, breaking Harry away from his revelation. "With  _who?!"_

Harry really couldn't help but smile widely at her. "Someone who was right under my nose for years, but I was too blind to see..."

"Oh," Cho said, looking down at her lap with a sad look over her face.

Harry took note of her mood, and studied her curiously, before finally coming to a conclusion.

He reached forward and took Cho's hand in his, in a way that only spoke of friendliness.

"Don't you think that you owe it to yourself to move on?" Harry asked her quietly. "That you deserve more than to fancy a bloke that will never feel the same way as you?"

Her eyes snapped up at that, pure surprise all over her face. "I-I don't, I mean I never thought that..." She broke off as she criticized him appraisingly with her eyes. "Since when have you become so insightful?"

Snorting, Harry replied, "Since I finally got my head out of my arse."

Cho laughed with a watery sort of smile, then she squeezed his hand once before she let go. "I suppose you're right... I guess I just had a hard time letting you go..." Her eyes moved up and down his frame. "You are quite the catch, you know. Especially after this summer... this girl that you love is lucky."

Harry felt his cheeks colour at the praise but waved off the compliment. "Trust me, if she likes me back, then I would be considered the lucky one."

Then he smiled slightly at the prospect of the idea of Ginny liking him... even if it were a fraction of what he felt for her.

Cho stood awkwardly and interrupted his thoughts. "I think I'm going to go now. Good luck with everything, Harry, and thanks for telling me the truth... even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear."

Harry nodded, and then Cho left, leaving Harry alone once more.

He sighed and turned onto his side once again, thinking about how Ginny really must not like him at all anymore, since she had yet to come see him still... but he was resolved to find out answers as soon as he left the hospital wing...

And then, Ginny Weasley would get an ear-full from him, that he knew for sure. Because he knew that he wasn't going to give up on her without a fight...

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A/N: Please leave a review!

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	18. Chapter 18

 

 

 

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Chapter Eighteen

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_Ginny was sitting in front of him, smiling widely at their surroundings. He really couldn't help but smile as well, as they had chosen quite the spot to spend the twilight evening together. Also, because he just loved to see her happy._

_They were both currently sitting in a rowboat on the Great Lake, but they found a hidden little harbor on the side, near the thick brush of the Forbidden Forest, where the water was calm. And tiny fairies and fire-flies fluttered around them, creating an ethereal glow on the water's surface._

_In the boat, they had a lantern lit, and Harry couldn't help but marvel at how the yellow glow illuminated Ginny's fiery, red hair..._

_Finally, Ginny seemed to sense his gaze, as her eyes finally met his. She smiled at him, a gentleness in her eyes that Harry wasn't used to seeing in anyone's eyes... at least not directed at him... it made Harry feel wanted and protected, so Harry really couldn't help but return her smile._

_Reaching forward, Harry clasped both of her hands in his and felt gratified in feeling her squeeze his in reassurance._

_"Gin..." Harry started, nervous but excited all the same. Knowing that it was right to tell her what he was about to say. "I've wanted to tell you for so long... but I was afraid. Afraid of rejection. The same rejection that I gave you..."_

_Ginny's eyebrows puckered together in confusion, but she didn't say anything, indicating that he should continue._

_"What I mean to say is," Harry swallowed heavily, trying to find the nerve to say what he needed to say. "I love you."_

_It took a moment for Ginny to react, as Harry waited on bated breath for her to say, well, something..._ _**anything** _ _really!_

_Until, finally, Ginny's smile grew larger and Harry felt a sense of relief in the pit of his stomach at the sight of it. But then, Ginny started to giggle... which left Harry a little confused, but it wasn't an altogether terrible reaction. Maybe she was giddy with joy?_

_Which was what he thought until her laughter grew until she was outright cackling. A strange sound to hear from Ginny's feminine tone._

_It was then that the wind suddenly picked up, Ginny's red hair flew around madly in the air surrounding them. The fire in the lantern blew out, and the fairies and fireflies disappeared, enclosing them in darkness and shadows._

_"You really think that I would_ _**ever** _ _love_ _**you** _ _?" Ginny cackled loudly, as though the very idea was hilarious to her. Harry watched on in dread, as the boat they were on started to rock forcefully back and forth from the waves and the storm. "No one has_ _**ever** _ _loved_ _**you** _ _in your_ _**entire life** _ _!"_

_Ginny's vibrant, red hair started to turn grey and became shorter. "You are_ _**nothing** _ _but a nuisance! An_ _**ungrateful nuisance** _ _!"_

_Thunder crashed overhead in the sky, and a bolt of lightning struck down on them, getting terribly close to his head, that Harry instinctually ducked and covered his head from the impact._

_"No... no... no...!" Harry chanted as a mantra, not quite able to believe that this was really happening._

_"You're a_ _**thief** _ _, that's what you are!" Ginny's feminine voice stated before it delved deeper, becoming masculine. Harry peeked up from his crouched position, and saw that Ginny's face and body were now bloating, getting bigger and bigger to the point where Harry thought that she was going to explode!_

_Until the growing finally stopped, and it was no longer Ginny sitting in the boat in front of him... it was Uncle Vernon._

_"You're a_ _**freak** _ _! A_ _**freak** _ _, I tell you! No one has_ _**ever** _ _loved you and no one ever will!"_

_"No, No, NO!" Harry cried out, trying to cover his ears from the terrible words, but it did him no good. He could still hear every insult thrown at him as clear as day._

_"Not even your parents loved you! They_ _**died** _ _just to get away from you!" Uncle Vernon sneered, his face purple with fury and malicious glee. "And your Godfather, he didn't even bother to keep you. He had wanted to go to Azkaban, just to get away from you!"_

_"That's not true!" Harry screamed, but in his mind, he knew it was all true. Everyone wanted to be rid of him. All of his life, it had been that way. He was nothing but a burden. A freak..._

_"Don't listen to him, Harry."_

_Harry's eyes shot open wide, at the voice that came behind him. He whipped his gaze away from Uncle Vernon and turned to find Sirius, staring right back at him. Sitting on the edge of the little boat, as though he belonged there. He looked younger than Harry had ever seen him, healthier… more alive. But Sirius' eyes looked sad, as he took in the scene in front of him. With the howling wind, and Harry cowering under the imposing frame of Uncle Vernon. Further proof to Harry at how weak he truly was… as it was displayed at that very moment._

_The great Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, afraid of a mere muggle._

_Tears started to leak from Harry's eyes and down his cheeks, and he turned his face inwards. Cowering himself into his burrowing arms, to hide his shame from his beloved Godfather._

_Sirius leaned in closer, putting one hand on Harry's shoulder, in the same comforting way that he did when he was still alive. While the other hand gripped Harry's chin and lifted his face up to face him._

_"This is all a dream, pup. None of it is real." Sirius informed him, reassuringly._

_This news shocked Harry momentarily before his resolve hardened. It still didn't change anything. He was still weak… unloved… a burden._

_A freak._

_All of this must have shown in his eyes, as Sirius' hand went from holding his chin, to cupping his cheek tenderly… in a way that Harry always imagined a parent would do when comforting their child._

_"I've loved you since before you were even born. Ever since your mum and dad told me that they were going to have a baby." Sirius said, passionately. "And you know what else?"_

_Harry shook his head slowly, not knowing what else there was that he could possibly add to that._

_Sirius smiled at him, a certain spark in his eye, as he reached up with his other hand to caress Harry's other cheek affectionately, as though he were still a young boy, and wiped away Harry's tears. "You turned out better than what I ever could have imaged. You really have been so brave… braver than you have any right being at your age. And I am so proud. My only wish is that I got to spend more time with you..."_

_Newfound tears started to leak out of Harry's eyes. With each word that Sirius spoke, the chaos of the storm calmed more and more. And it was as Harry launched himself into his Godfather's arms, did their surroundings finally quiet to a whisper._

_Harry sobbed into his shoulder, not even bothering to care how immature he might look at the moment. He needed this comfort… the type of comfort that one could only get from a parental figure. Someone who loved him unconditionally._

_"I've missed you so much!" Harry cried, basking in the feeling of his Godfather's embrace, as Sirius ran a comforting hand at the back of his fringe._

_"I know, Pup, I know." Sirius sighed, before kissing the crown of his head. "It wasn't easy, leaving you behind..."_

_They held onto each other for a long moment, before Sirius sighed, and pulled away. Harry tried to hang on with all of his might, but he wasn't strong enough._

_"Sorry, Prongslette," Sirius whispered, his grey eyes sad again. "They aren't letting me stay any longer... I've got to be going."_

_"No!" Harry shouted, his hands fisting at the fabric of Sirius' clothing. "Don't leave me! Not again! I can't stand it!"_

_Sirius, with tears in his own eyes now, gave him a watery smile. "This is all only a dream, Harry. When you wake up, you'll be reminded of all who is still around to love you... You don't need me around for that."_

_It was as he said this, Sirius gently pried the fingers Harry had fisted on his robes off and stood up in the boat._

_"Give my best to Remus, for me?" Sirius asked, before winking for added measure, in a way that screamed 'Sirius Black'. Then with a flash of white light, he was gone..._

_And Harry was left on his own, the dark night quiet, and the black water still._

_"Please come back, Sirius..." Harry whispered, before breaking down and crying into his open hands..._

......................................

"Harry…" A gentle hand shook him awake, and Harry opened his eyes. His cheeks wet, and his eyes blurry… from not only his terrible vision but the leftover tears in his eyes.

He quickly rubbed them away, embarrassed at whoever it was that was watching him cry, then grabbed for his glasses on the nightstand table.

Righting his glasses on his face, Harry was greeted with the sight of half-moon spectacles in front of him. Professor Dumbledore was sitting in the chair beside his bed, his form only illuminated by the glow of a single candle.

It was dark in the hospital wing, and Harry wondered at what time it was… or why Professor Dumbledore decided to wake him.

"Professor?" Harry asked, the sleep entirely gone from his eyes and voice.

Dumbledore watched him for a long moment, before giving him a sad smile. "Bad dreams, Harry?"

Harry sighed and sat upright more in his bed, bringing his knees close and hugging them to his chest, before nodding.

"I find that it helps to talk about it," Dumbledore said, an offering in his tone.

Running a tired hand through his hair, Harry wasn't really sure that it would help. But he resolved to try, even though he was hesitant. "I dreamed of Sirius…"

Dumbledore's eyes lit up with understanding, and his eyes became sad. "Ah… I see." Dumbledore expressed in a heavy tone. "If I may, Harry, I feel I haven't expressed my deep regret for not being here when you needed me most, last spring."

Harry gave a shuttering breath, trying to keep any tears at bay, before replying in a croaking voice, "It's not your fault. It's not even mine… It took me a long time to come to terms with that, but I wasn't the one who killed Sirius. And I had no idea that it was all a trap…"

Harry took a deep breath before letting it out as a long sigh, "I just miss him, is all… In my dream, he was reminding me of all the people that I love that are still in my life right now. And as much as it hurt to see him disappear again in my dream, I can't deny that I really needed to hear what he was telling me. That I have so many people in my life that I love… people to live for… to fight for. Ron, Hermione, the Weasleys, Remus, and especially Ginny. Even you, Professor. You all make it worth it. But…"

"But?" Dumbledore asked, pure curiosity in his voice and all over his face.

"But I miss him," Harry admitted. "And my parents… I wish that I had the chance to get to know them. Or even talk to them – just once. What I wouldn't give to tell them that I love them. To thank them for sacrificing themselves for me."

Something about Harry's words seemed to shake Dumbledore's core, Harry noticed. He seemed deeply shaken by something, and rather deep in thought as he mulled over Harry's speech.

"Sir…?" Harry asked, hesitantly. And his interruption of Dumbledore's thoughts seemed to startle the headmaster. But also, seemed to resolve any issues that he was thinking about, as he now looked determined… as though he just came to a very important conclusion.

"I would like for you to come with me, Harry," Dumbledore said, his eyes somewhat uncertain, but alight with clarity. Harry, on the other hand, was hesitant… unsure that if he was even allowed to leave the hospital wing. Dumbledore must have noticed, as he quickly said, "It's quite alright, Harry. I just have something that I would like to show you."

Nodding, Harry sat up and turned down the covers. His bare feet touched the cold floor, and a violent shiver went down Harry's back. Dumbledore stood as Harry did, and Dumbledore lit his wand with a silent 'Lumos' charm.

The castle was so quiet at this time of night… Harry had almost forgotten. And he found himself quite uneasy traveling about the castle at night, without his invisibility cloak. Even though he was allowed with the company of the headmaster.

As they passed by snoring portraits and sleeping ghosts, Harry felt quite reluctant to break the silence by speaking to the professor.

It was just as they turned another corridor when they ran into Mrs. Norris. Harry visibly startled to a halt, out of habit, a normal reaction from him at this point.

She watched them creepily for a moment, before coming closer and rubbing up against Dumbledore's legs, startling Harry at the obvious affection the cat had with the Headmaster.

Dumbledore himself chuckled and bent down to scratch at the patch of fur behind her ear. A purring sound emitted from the fearsome cat, astonishing Harry even further. "It's been some time since I've run into you in these halls, hasn't it?" Dumbledore spoke to Mrs. Norris, and a higher volume in purring was what he got in reply.

The pounding of footsteps from the opposite end of the corridor came about, and Mr. Filch came bounding around the corner. A suspicious gleam in his eye as he came upon them. "Ah, Headmaster. Found some vermin sneaking about the castle past curfew, have you? Have you thought up a suitable punishment, yet? I may have a few ideas if you haven't…"

Mr. Filch flashed Harry his crooked, yellow teeth… which Harry supposed was actually meant to be some form of a leering smile. But looked more like a grimace, to Harry, than anything.

Dumbledore chuckled merrily and waved off Mr. Filch's suspicions. "Actually, Mr. Potter is out past curfew on my request. But I thank you for your diligence against any rule-breaking, Argus. You are so vital in helping mold the young mind against any wrong-doings."

Mr. Filch harrumphed in reply, crossing his arms in disappointment. "My help is more than what the brats deserve." Mr. Filch spat in a superior tone. "But try my best, anyways, I do."

Dumbledore nodded seriously. "Yes, and it is very much appreciated, Argus."

Mr. Filch seemed pleased by the praise but was trying not to show it. "Best be getting back to it." Mr. Filch commented, then crooned to Mrs. Norris to be off in catching any more 'trouble-makers' that were bound to be out and about.

Dumbledore chuckled again, before continuing on his way. And Harry followed as he mulled over the bizarre occurrence that he had just witnessed.

It wasn't long before they made it to the gargoyle that guarded the outside of the Headmaster's office.

"Fizzing Wizzbees." Dumbledore declared confidently at the gargoyle. And the statue turned to reveal the spiral staircase. The Headmaster stepped forward to the staircase, and Harry dutifully followed, his mind guessing at what was so important for the Headmaster to show him.

Once inside his office, still decorated heavily with odd trinkets and portraits of Headmasters' past, snoozing away in their frames… though, Harry could tell that a few of them were faking slumber.

"Please, take a seat, Harry." Dumbledore offered, indicating to the vacant chair across from his desk. "I'll only be a moment…"

Harry nodded and went to take his seat, and watched as Dumbledore left through a passage-way door that Harry had never noticed before. And then he was all alone… and it occurred to Harry that it would be entirely silent in the room, if not for the dramatic snores coming from the portraits of the former Headmasters.

Suddenly, a form swooping down from above landed in front of him, startling Harry, which quickly changed when he saw what was in front of him.

"Fawkes!" Harry exclaimed, happy to see the Phoenix that had once helped him to defeat a giant basilisk, and saving his future love in the process. "How have you been?"

Fawkes let out a beautiful trilling sound in reply, and nudged his head forward into Harry's outstretched hand, basking in the warm touch of a friendly presence that he trusted. Harry chuckled and scratched lightly at the feathers at the top of Fawkes' head. "I'll assume that means you've been good."

"The only other person I've seen him act so affectionately with is myself…" Harry whipped his attention to the door, where Dumbledore was standing – an ornate wooden box held in his hands. One normal hand, the other blackened and dead looking…

Harry forcibly took his attention away from Dumbledore's hand - thinking that if Dumbledore wanted to tell him about his hand, then he would – and smiled softly at the Headmaster. "Yeah, I missed him. It's been so long since I have seen Fawkes…"

Dumbledore smiled warmly at that, and walked forward to his desk, box still tightly clasped in his hand.

Harry didn't say anything as he watched Dumbledore take his seat across from him, behind his desk. He waited until Dumbledore got comfortable, and set the wooden box down on the desk in front of him, both hands still clasping it tightly.

It was a lengthy moment in tense silence. With Dumbledore staring at the box in his hands, not breathing a word, and Harry waiting for the Headmaster to speak, with anticipation in the bottom of his stomach that Harry didn't know where it came from. Perhaps it was just a reaction to the way that Dumbledore was acting… it burned Harry's curiosity, trying to guess what could possibly be in the small box.

It was another long moment before Dumbledore finally opened his mouth to speak. "I normally wouldn't entrust this possession I have with anyone… In fact, I barely trust myself with it."

This shocked Harry greatly, never seeing this side of the Professor before. If Dumbledore wasn't trustworthy, then who was? Certainly, not  _him_! But Dumbledore seemed to think so… as all of his actions and words indicated that he was going to give Harry whatever was in this box. An item that Dumbledore admitted that he didn't trust himself to possess.

"But I find that you have proven yourself, Harry," Dumbledore continued on, "Proven yourself far more worthy of it than myself. Your desire to live for those who you love is what has decided my decision, as I know that you won't do something we will both regret after I give this to you…"

Dumbledore patted the top of the box with his good hand, then stroked the smooth wood with his fingertips.

Once again, Harry found himself wondering if the Headmaster really was mad… his words made absolutely no sense to him. What did his desire to live for his loved ones have to do with the item in that box? And what about his desire made the Headmaster decide to gift him with this possession?

Dumbledore's fingers stopped stroking the smooth wood, and looked Harry in the eye, quite seriously. "What I'm about to give you has been sought and coveted by many witches and wizards over the centuries… Many believe it to be a myth. There was a time that I thought as much, as well. That was until after your father graduated from school here."

Harry's eyes widened at the mention of his father, his attention and curiosity even more piqued. Leaning forward in his seat, Harry hoped that the Headmaster was about to tell him another story about his dad that he had never heard before. As Harry had heard many stories of his dad during his Hogwarts days, but not much of his father, or even his mother, after they had left school.

"It was after the Order of the Phoenix had been created… James and Lily had both become members. Along with Sirius, Remus… as well as Peter Pettigrew."

Harry tried not to show any emotion at the name of the traitorous rat, but his whole body did twitch at the name… almost like a reflex. As though his body wanted to get up and move… to fight.

"I had started to assign all of them onto assignments. It was during this time, I had found out that James had the most remarkable cloak…"

Hearing this, Harry paused, before reaching into the back pocket of his pajamas and pulling out the cloak in question. He always kept it on his person, after Dumbledore had asked him to always have it on him during the summer.

Dumbledore smiled as he saw the very cloak that he was speaking of. "That would be the one. Imagine my surprise when I found out that James had been using this very cloak to sneak around the castle during his school days." Dumbledore broke off with a chuckle, and Harry couldn't help but smile at his father's past antics.

"But when I saw the cloak for myself, I found out something quite remarkable about it… it was one of the three Deathly Hallows…" Dumbledore continued on to tell Harry the fairytale in the book of The Tales of Beetle the Bard… about the three Peverell brothers cheating Death, and the Deathly Hallows.

Harry was shocked. He looked down at the shimmery fabric in his hands… fabric that came from Death, itself. "You mean… that my dad's cloak is…"

"The very same cloak of invisibility. I believe that you are a descendant of the brother who greeted Death as an old friend, Harry. And the cloak has been passed down through your family for centuries."

Harry fell back into his chair, feeling very overwhelmed all of a sudden. It was a lot to take in at once. He had thought, at a time, that the biggest shock that he would ever get in his life, would be the time when Hagrid had told him that he was a wizard… but his life had really been nothing but surprises since then. He really wondered when he would stop being so surprised.

It was then that Harry was reminded of why he was even in the Headmaster's office in the first place. His eyes keenly landed on the box underneath Dumbledore's hands, already having a suspicion of what lay inside…

"So, in the box…" Harry said, carefully, "It-It's another one of them, isn't it? Another Deathly Hallow."

Dumbledore nodded, very serious. "Indeed, Harry. It is. One that I have only just found this last summer before I came to take you away from your relatives…"

Harry was only half-listening, too busy staring at the box with wide eyes. Why in Merlin's name was Professor Dumbledore going to gift him with a  _Deathly Hallow_ , of all things? It was a priceless item… something that wasn't to be taken lightly. The Professor really must be mad to give away such a valuable possession… one that was most-likely killed over in the attempts to obtain it.

"Harry," Dumbledore said, his voice calling Harry out of the trance that he was under, the Headmaster's voice very serious. "Inside this box, is to not be taken lightly by you. You are not to abuse it's power in any way, for it may drive you to madness or your own death…"

Harry swallowed heavily at that and nodded quickly, trying to convey his seriousness in the matter. Wanting to please the Headmaster in any way that he could.

Professor Dumbledore let out a large breath and sighed. Then standing, he pushed the box forward to Harry. Then, lifted a long chain that was clasped around his neck, a small silver key attached to the end of the chain, and put his hand forward, offering the key to Harry.

Harry felt his whole body shaking with anticipation, as he slowly lifted his hand to the key. And finally clasping the cool metal in his hand, then slowly bringing his arm back to his body… Harry looked down at his tightly clenched fist, which surrounded the key, with the chain dangling from in-between his fingers.

"I trust that you can manage yourself from here?" Dumbledore asked him, and Harry found himself nodded robotically.

Dumbledore himself nodded, then stated, "Good. I shall leave you to it, then."

Fawkes flew up to Dumbledore's shoulder, then the Headmaster was walking away, heading for the very door that he had retrieved the box from. And then, after opening the door, he walked through it and shut the door with a final thud.

Leaving Harry alone, once again…

The blood in his veins was pumping fast, his heartbeat pounding loudly in his ears. Sweat started to gather heavily in the palm that was clenched around the key. And Harry found himself sitting there, hyperventilating, not able to get a good breath.

After a very long moment, Harry's eyes traveled upwards to the box that lay before him.

The box itself was nothing special… it was nicely carved, but it was ordinary. Something that could easily be found anywhere. But it was what was on the  _inside_  of this very box, which made it seem so daunting.

Harry didn't think that he would ever really have any true courage to open it. He was afraid to try. But he found that even though he was terrified of what was about to happen, he knew that he had to face his fears, and just do it anyways. That was what true bravery was.

So, with a heavy breath, and a shaking hand, Harry loosened his grip around the key and placed it in-between his thumb and pointer finger.

Biting his lip, so hard that a part of him wondered if his bottom lip had torn and bled, Harry slowly reached forward and placed the key into the lock of the box…

It went in easily and didn't stop until it was met with the resistance of the end of the lock. Swallowing again, to get rid of the dryness that suddenly overcame his throat, Harry turned the key until a small 'click' resounded in the almost-empty room.

And with his other shaking hand, he placed it on the top cover of the box. Harry closed his eyes, and before he lost his nerve, quickly whipped the top off of the box open.

It was another moment before Harry opened his eyes, and found himself not at all surprised at the sight that lay in the box before him…

It was a stone. Small and black, it was. In the shape of a diamond. But Harry knew that it wasn't just any stone… it was the stone that Dumbledore had just told him about, in the long tale from 'The Tales of Beetle the Bard'…

The Resurrection Stone.

Another one of the Deathly Hallows.

And possibly the one that would most-likely impact his life the most.

Harry could only stare at it mindlessly. His mind empty and his thoughts blank.

He really couldn't believe that the time has come. For so long had he wished to meet his parents… talk to them, feel their love for him and return it in spades. And he now had the means to do so… it was almost too much to process. Too unexpected, it was.

And then there was Sirius. Harry remembered finding the mirror after Sirius had fallen through the veil. How he had tried ruthlessly to contact Sirius on the other side through the mirror… only it hadn't worked. The magic of the compartment mirror didn't reach upon the grave.

It had devastated Harry. He had wanted so desperately to talk to Sirius… at least one last time. To tell him how sorry he was. To tell him how responsible he had felt for his death.

And now, he was able to do just that.

Why was he so afraid?

Before he even asked himself that question, he already knew the answer…

What if it didn't work? He had faced far too much disappointment in his life many times over in his short life, so far. It wasn't unprecedented that he should prepare himself for the worst when regarding this crucial moment in his life.

But there was also another nagging thought that was holding him back from greedily grasping the stone in his hand…

What if they didn't like him? What if they were disappointed in how he chose to live his life, so far? What if they weren't proud of him?

But even as Harry faced these doubts as well, he knew that he couldn't get answers to these questions until he reached forward and grasped that stone…

So, with bated breath, Harry slowly reached forward, his hand twitching as it made its way into the box, and grasped the smooth texture of the priceless stone…

Harry hadn't realized that he had closed his eyes, as he had done this. Afraid to see what may or may not be in front of him. So, he waited, with eyes clasped tightly shut, for any sign that getting his hopes up wouldn't be in vain…

" _Harry_ …"

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A/N: I know! What a twist! Remember to leave a review! (:

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	19. Chapter 19

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_So, with bated breath, Harry slowly reached forward, his hand twitching as it made its way into the box, and grasped the smooth texture of the priceless stone…_

_Harry hadn't realized that he had closed his eyes, as he had done this. Afraid to see what may or may not be in front of him. So, he waited, with eyes clasped tightly shut, for any sign that getting his hopes up, wouldn't be in vain…_

_**"Harry…"** _

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Chapter Nineteen

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Harry's eyes snapped open, shocked at hearing his name in the otherwise empty room.

But after he had opened his eyes, it was to see nothing in front of him... just an empty desk, and the frames of snoozing portraits on the wall...

There was no one of significance to him. There was no James Potter, no Lily Potter, and no Sirius Black.

He was alone.

Immense pain immediately overcame him. Crushing disappointment making it difficult for him to breathe.

He was  _always_  alone!

Fresh tears started to leak out of his eyes against his will.

Why had Dumbledore done this to him? It was the cruelest trick that anyone had ever played on him in all of his life. Not even the cruel game of 'Harry Hunting' that Dudley had played with his friends, came close to the sadistic trick that had deceived him now...

What a fool he was, to think that he was worth a visit from beyond the grave... it had to have been one of the portraits that had called his name. There was no other explanation to it. Harry had been tricked. Plain and simple.

But, it didn't feel like a simple joke when he stopped to think about how broken his soul felt.

Though, there was no one to care about his hurt... his pain. It was like Uncle Vernon always said... how could anyone ever love him? Everyone who had, either died or avoided him. He was a freak... a burden... and forever alone.

Now, more than ever at that moment, Harry felt the control that he once had on his magical core, slip. Until he lost all ties to his control, entirely.

He was a pitiful excuse of a wizard... that must be why the stone didn't work. The only reason why anyone thought him worth anything was because of the  _stupid_  scar on his forehead! Which he got from his parents' murderer... He was only really famous from association with Voldemort!

He should be ashamed to look at his very face in the mirror... what had he done to live his life in a way to honor his parent's sacrifice?

The walls started to shake, awakening all of the portraits in their frames. Some even falling from their mounts on the wall.

The box that once held the stone, exploded into tiny splinters. Many of the tiny, wooden pieces tagging into Harry's skin. But the pain of it was nowhere near the pain he felt in his heart...

It felt as though he had lost them all over again. Without the pleasure of even seeing them.

His body was starting to hyperventilate so much, that Harry could no longer keep in the sobs that were wrecking his entire body.

An indoor wind storm swirled all around him, whipping around spare parchment paper.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut. Tucking his knees to his chest and burying his face into his arms. He didn't want to feel. He couldn't stand this pain... this  _agony_. He thought for sure that it would kill him.

When suddenly, a cool hand touched his shoulder, and everything stopped. The wind, the rattling, his magic, they all froze. Including himself.

At first, Harry didn't know what to make of it. The touch was so foreign to him. The only thing that he could remotely equate it to was when he got hugs from Mrs. Weasley... but even then, it wasn't the same.

This touch felt special... it was a touch that was meant for him, and him alone. A special bond that he had only known as a child, but couldn't remember...

It was the touch of a mother.

Slowly, Harry lifted his head, seeing the mess his magic had made of the office, but not dwelling on it much at all. Because Harry's concentration was only on two things... The pounding in his ears, and the feeling of the hand on his shoulder. And slowly, he lifted his own hand to rest on top of hers.

Her hand was tiny, feminine. As he closed his eyes again, it sort of reminded him of how Ginny's hand felt whenever they held hands.

He didn't know what to do... or say... or even think.

All that he knew was that he needed to see her.

Harry turned his head, slowly, afraid to breathe in fear that he would scare her off. As he reminded himself that this was the moment he had dreamed about for his entire life.

Opening his eyes, Harry gasped. There she was, standing, in front of him. And the pictures, as well as the Mirror of Erised, didn't do her any justice.

She was beautiful. Looking so young and alive, even though that was hardly the case. Her eyes, the green eyes that he had inherited, were alight with both happiness and fear... but she wasn't afraid  _of_  him, she was afraid  _for_  him. Somehow, Harry could just tell the difference. It was in the look that she was giving him right then... a look that said that she cared about him. No matter what.

He couldn't believe how amazing it felt to be on the receiving end of that look for once.

"Mum?" His voice cracked as he spoke the first word he had ever remembered speaking to her.

Remarkably, the fear in her eyes vanished, and only pure love remained as they stared at one another in wonder.

"Yes, Harry," A brilliant smile overcame her lips, and her eyes became watery. "It's  _me_... it's your mum."

Her voice was filled with so much emotion as she spoke, and Harry could no longer hold himself back. Because in the very next moment, he was standing and rushed into her arms. His own arms wrapping tightly around her middle, feeling as though he never wanted to let go.

His mum held him back just as fiercely, landing what seemed to be hundreds of kisses wherever she could reach on the side of his face.

He couldn't believe this was happening! He, Harry Potter - an unloved orphan for a majority of his life - was hugging his  _mum_.

_"This has to be some sort of dream..."_ Harry whispered aloud, without realizing or meaning to.

Strong, lean arms suddenly encircled them both, momentarily startling Harry. But his mum laughed heartily, the lilting noise sounded both relieved and happy.

"This is no dream, son," A male voice spoke from just above his ear. "And I couldn't be happier for it!"

There was only one person this voice could belong to. And eagerly, Harry turned his head to the opposite direction, only to come face to face with...  _himself_?

No... it was the same shaggy, black hair, the same round glasses, as well as the same body build and frame. But it wasn't himself that he was looking at. His own nose was smaller, and his eyes weren't the hazel staring back at him with the same amount of awe.

And if nothing else, there was no lightning-bolt scar in sight.

_"Dad."_ Harry breathed, his throat feeling tight suddenly.

His dad merely grinned a cocky little grin - somehow still managing to achieve it through his red eyes - then leaned forward and kissed the top of his head. "The one and only, Prongslette. The one and only."

Harry unwrapped one arm from around his mum and squeezed it around his dad, with one arm around each of his newfound parents. With both of them wrapping themselves around Harry in the middle. Harry really couldn't help the tears of joy, as he sobbed happily into his father's chest.

Finally, after all of these years of searching, he has found his family... his true home.

It suddenly became too much for all of them to stand, so in a heap, they lowered to their knees, still wrapped tight in each other's arms.

"I can't believe you're really here!" Harry managed to get out, with only slight coherency. "I have so much to say! So much to tell you... to ask you! But I can't think of the words!"

"That would be a first, wouldn't it, Pup?" A voice called from a small distance in front of him.

Harry's head snapped up, knowing that voice anywhere, but hardly believing it to be true. It didn't take long for his eyes to find him and lock onto his frame, greedily taking in his presence.

Sirius looked just as he had in his dream. Young and so alive. But instead of the sadness in his eyes, as it had been in his dream, Sirius' eyes were now full of mischief. The corner of his lips quirked up in humor.

"Because we both know that when you have questions, you usually demand the answers." Sirius finished, with a wolffish laugh to accentuate his jab at Harry.

Harry himself was still too stunned to say anything. Marveling at his beloved, but lost, Godfather in front of him. At last.

Beside him, his dad snorted loudly in his ear, before replying, "Very funny, Padfoot. Now, be a good Dogfather and come greet your Godson."

Harry couldn't help the laughter that escaped him from that, as his eyes eagerly watched Sirius strut forward. Before he was close enough for both of his parents to reach out and tug him down, forcibly joining him in their group hug.

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A/N: Remember to leave a review!

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	20. Chapter 20

 

 

 

 

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_Beside him, his dad snorted loudly in his ear, before replying, "Very funny, Padfoot. Now, be a good Dogfather and come greet your Godson."_

_Harry couldn't help the laughter that escaped him from that, as his eyes eagerly watched Sirius strut forward. Before he was close enough for both of his parents to reach out and tug him down, forcibly joining him in their group hug._

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Chapter Twenty

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It was a moment that Harry had never felt before. At last, he felt at peace.  _True_  peace. There were no worries about Voldemort in the back of his mind, nor were there thoughts on what Draco was up to... no dreading feelings of returning to the Dursleys this next summer, or thoughts of what Dumbledore had done to his hand. All that he focused on now, was that his family was here, in his arms. Where they belonged.

The only thing that could make it better was if Ginny were here in his arms, too, as well as all the other people in his life that he loved. Like Ron, Hermione, Remus, and the rest of the Weasleys.

But he was content to just spend this time with his parents and Sirius, alone.

It took quite a bit of time for all of them to calm down. And when they did, they merely held each other amidst the random sniffle and sigh of contentment.

It wasn't until his dad lifted his head from sitting atop Harry's, and a short laugh escaped him, did they all finally look up; curious.

They all looked to James, wondering at what he found to be funny at such an emotional time. James laughed again as he looked around Dumbledore's office with some wonder in his eyes. "I haven't seen you have a tantrum like this since you were only a one-year-old..."

Lily, herself, snorted as well.

"Are you kidding? They were even worse than this! I thought that your accidental magic would be the death of us, sweetheart." She brushed back the fringe of his hair, trying in vain to flatten it.

Harry's eyes widened as he pulled back to look back and forth between both of his parents. "I had accidental magic... even back when I was so  _young?!"_

All three of them nodded, as James replied, "That's how we knew that you were bound to be a powerful wizard."

This shocked Harry to no end.  _Him?_ A  _powerful_  wizard? It was ridiculous!

Sure, he was the  _'Chosen One'_... but the only reason why he was the Chosen One, was because Voldemort decided to put a target - or, rather,  _scar_  - on his forehead. And any run-ins he has had with ' _The Dark Lord'_ , has merely been a mixture of luck on his side, as well as talented friends who could get him out of trouble. His own magical ability had next to nothing to do with it.

"But I'm not even that powerful," Harry admitted, feeling somewhat ashamed for admitting this out loud in front of his parents. "Most of the time, it takes me  _forever_  to master a new spell."

Sirius snorted and shook his head. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Pup. You mastered a Corporal Patronus at the age of thirteen! Most adult wizards can't even do that!"

James nodded his head quickly and seriously at what his Godfather was saying. "Yeah, and, not to mention, how you perfected the 'Acico' spell in your fourth year!" Then, his face shifted into a beaming smile, a smile that Harry had never seen on his dad in any of the photos he had gotten from Hagrid in his first year. "That was bloody brilliant, that was! The way you faced that Horntail! Your mum would've had a heart attack, while we were watching, if she wasn't already dead!"

James started laughing, and Sirius immediately joined in, while Harry's eyes widened. He didn't know what to think... on the one hand, it was great getting such praise from his dad. But it was strange being reminded that they were actually dead, when they were really right in front of him, at that moment. Though, he knew that if something like that had been said to him by anyone else, they would most likely be victim to whatever curse he threw at them. But it was different coming from his dad, his newfound father, who also happened to be  _dead._  And, remarkably, Harry could actually find some bought of humour in what his dad said.

His mum, however, found  _no_  amusement in the joke, whatsoever. That much Harry could assess from the amount of fire in her eyes. A fire that reminded him of Ginny's wild temper. Though, he only found it attractive on Ginny, alone... He knew that if the glare that his mum was sporting was directed at him, he would be  _terrified_. "James Charlus Potter! How  _dare_  you joke about something that is so sensitive to your only  _son_!"

Immediately, Lily grabbed Harry all for herself and held him tight in her arms. His head pressed firmly against her heart, where her hand held him. Harry really couldn't help but smile at his mum's possessiveness and protectiveness of him. It was all so foreign, but something that Harry would be happy to get used to.

"It's alright, mum," Harry amended on his dad's behalf, while sheepishly enjoying the feeling of being in his mum's arms. "Dad doesn't mean anything by it. I am surprised to hear that you two actually saw that bit with the dragon, though. Sorry you had to see that..."

His mum's fierce eyes turned on him, and as soon as they landed on him, they softened instantly.

"You have nothing to apologise for, sweetheart," Lily said, giving him a tight squeeze for emphasis. "It wasn't your fault that you were  _forced_  to partake in such a  _barbaric_  tournament."

James nodded his head vigorously in agreement at that. "Yeah, and though the idea is  _wicked_   _cool_  - and I know for a fact that  _if_  the Tri-Wizard Tournament were going on back in our Hogwarts days, I would've  _totally_  put my name in – but, I still don't understand what Dumbledore was  _thinking_ , hosting an event so  _dangerous_! I'm just glad that you were powerful enough to compete without getting hurt. And that your mum and I were able to help you get away from Voldemort."

Harry shuttered at the memory of the graveyard, and his mum squeezed him closer to her in response.

But Harry pulled away slightly, just enough to sit up but still enclosed in his mother's embrace.

"You keep saying how powerful I am..." Harry said, quiet and hesitant. "But you can't possibly believe that's true. Hermione is far more superior with magic than I am."

"In all areas except for flying and Defense Against the Dark Arts," Sirius interjected, "And book smarts can only take you so far in the middle of a wizarding battle, Harry."

"Sirius is right, Harry," Lily spoke up from behind him. "Hermione and I are both similar in that regard. I was full of knowledge from all sorts of spell books, but your father had to train me how to duel after we had graduated Hogwarts. And I wouldn't have lasted long outside of Hogwarts if he hadn't."

Harry frowned, not quite liking the idea that Hermione might be at risk if they were to find themselves in a situation where they would have to fight. He resolved right then and there that he would spend some extra time teaching the art of dueling in the D.A., which he had already decided to start the coming week. Already, he was thinking of techniques to show them. He didn't want anyone to get hurt in the coming war if he had the chance — especially where Hermione was concerned. She wouldn't get a scratch on her from Death Eaters if Harry could help it.

"That still doesn't change the fact that I'm not exceptional at magic, like you all say," Harry finally said, after a moment of reflection. "Sure, I have some talent in D.A.D.A., but it's nowhere near to the powerful magic that you guys implied I had at one-years-old."

They all went quiet as they contemplated this, each wearing their own little frown. Until finally, James spoke up. "I think that it may have something to do with your upbringing, Harry."

This brought Harry up short, puzzled by what his father meant by that.

"What do you mean?"

"We watched as you grew up, Harry. We couldn't watch all of the time, but we were able to grasp at what kind of home life you have..."

Harry's face became bright red, and he hid his face by looking at the floor, ashamed.

"What I mean to say is, Harry, that you've been told that you are a freak your entire life, and that magic was evil and not even real. I think that as a result from that, you are suppressing your own magic, yourself. Subconsciously, of course. But a part of you believes that you can't do it because it has been ingrained in you that it is immoral and wrong to do magic. So, that part of you is holding yourself back from reaching your full potential."

As Harry heard his dad's explanation, his embarrassment and shame melted away, and reason took its place. It made sense all of a sudden! His problems with learning new magic weren't because he wasn't a good enough wizard, it was because of-

"That  ** _damned_** _walrus_!" His mum snapped from behind, startling Harry. "It's not  _enough_  that he couldn't let you have a nice and loving childhood! Oh,  _no_... he has to make you think that everything about you is  _abnormal_ when being a wizard is a truly  _natural_  thing to be!"

Harry was so surprised by his mum's outburst - on his behalf, no less - that all he could do was gape at her as she continued. But there was a small voice in the back of his mind that thanked Merlin, once again, that her anger wasn't directed at him.

"Mum, I-"

"And I don't even know where to  _start_  with my  _sister!_ I would never have thought that she hated me so much, that she would be alright with raising you,  _my only son_ , with nothing but  _abuse_  and  _neglect_!" His mum started to cry then, and both Harry and James immediately had the instinct to comfort her.

Harry turned in her arms and wrapped her up within his own, while his dad went behind her and pressed up against her other side.

"Mum... it's fine, really," Harry said, trying to sound convincing, and just being able to manage it. "I'm over it..."

"That's the thing, Harry," His dad murmured, a deep sadness in his tone that Harry never imagined he would hear from his cocky and mischievous father... "You shouldn't have to get over anything because it shouldn't have ever happened in the first place. You deserved a healthy, normal childhood."

His mum sniffled in agreement as she buried her face in Harry's hair. And Harry couldn't find it within himself to disagree with them. Somehow, he knew that even denying his abusive past would hurt his family even more.

"It's all my fault," Sirius suddenly spoke up. And all three's heads snapped up to look at him.

Sirius' eyes were downcast, his entire demeanour filled with guilt and shame.

James, however, groaned out loud and rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Padfoot! I've already told you that it wasn't your fault! The real people to blame are the Dursleys, Voldemort, and that traitorous rat!"

Harry nodded vigorously. "Yeah, Sirius. I've never blamed you. In fact, you made my life significantly better after I met you..."

Harry suddenly broke off, biting his lip in hesitation before releasing it and shifting his eyes away in shame. "There was actually something that I... well, I know that it doesn't fix anything and it probably doesn't mean much to you, but I'm sorry for getting you killed, Sirius."

Shock overcame Sirius' entire face, his jaw-dropping in his surprise. So, Harry quickly continued, "If I hadn't believed that the stupid vision that Voldemort had sent me to be true - if I had only just remembered the pocket mirror that you gave me, then you wouldn't have had to come rescue me and my friends from the Death Eaters. I put us all at risk, and you were the one that paid the price..."

Harry looked down at his hands, trying to keep the large lump in his throat at bay as he spoke. "It was all my fault, Sirius. I'm the one to blame for your death. I can't even understand how you can stand to be around me-"

"Alright. I think that I've heard enough." Sirius said, firmly.

Harry tried not to flinch at the amount of force in his Godfather's tone, knowing that he deserved Sirius' anger plus more.

But then he felt Sirius' hand at the side of his head, lifting his face so that he had to look into the grey eyes staring back at him fiercely.

"We all have things that we aren't proud of in our lives, Harry," Sirius began, "But my death... shouldn't be one of yours."

Harry's eyes could only widen at what he had just heard.

"I was cocky, Harry. I didn't think that Bellatrix would get the upper hand on me. But I was wrong. And that miscalculation, my underestimating her, is what really led to my death. It wasn't your fault in the slightest."

Harry thought on his Godfather's words for a long moment, before quickly saying, "I would still like to ask for your forgiveness."

Sirius let out a long sigh; then he looked imploringly into Harry's eyes. "There's nothing to forgive, Pup."

"Regardless," Harry said, firm in his belief that this is what he really needed. "I feel better asking..."

Lily and James sat still beside him as Sirius studied his Godson, who was looking at his Godfather with pleading eyes. Before Sirius' shoulders relaxed and he nodded. "Then I forgive you."

A tightness that Harry hadn't even realised was in his chest, uncoiled... until it was nonexistent. And a lightness took its place. It felt as though he could finally breathe again, at last.

"Thank-you." Harry breathed, and his Godfather smiled at him with the amount of warmth that Harry had missed seeing, and then Sirius ruffled his hair affectionately. But then another question was plaguing his mind, weighing heavy as soon as it had been mentioned...

"How do I stop myself from subconsciously blocking my magic?"

He looked to his parents as he asked this, and a pondering look crossed both of theirs. His father, specifically, had a quizzical tilt to his brow. Until it unfurrowed, and understanding cleared his features.

"In order to find the solution to a problem, you have to first find the cause..." James clarified his revelation to them.

Lily's features lightened then as well, as understanding found her at what her husband was referring to.

Harry, on the other hand, hadn't quite met the same conclusion as they had. As his features were scrunched up in deep thought into what the 'cause' was that his dad was referring to. And he forced himself to think about it…

"Well..." Harry started, brainstorming out loud. "You said that the reason why I was blocking myself is because Uncle Vernon has caused me to subconsciously believe that magic is wrong."

Sirius seemed to catch on then as well, as his face brightened then.

James nodded vigorously. "Exactly Harry. That hateful rhetoric is the cause of your block. But that's not the only thing. It's also because of the abuse and hatred you were surrounded by while growing up."

Harry didn't seem to get where he was going with this, so he merely stared at his father dumbly. But then his mum grabbed both of his hands into hers and looked imploringly into his eyes. "What is the opposite of hate, Harry?"

And suddenly, it all made sense to Harry. Why Dumbledore kept going on and on about why love was the secret "power" in the prophecy. Why he was so much more powerful at magic when surrounded by his beloved friends in dangerous situations.

"It's love. That's what will help with my problem." Harry breathed, in awe.

All three of them smiled at him and nodded happily.

"Specifically, be more open and accepting to the idea of love," Sirius added.

Harry couldn't help but look at him quizzically. "I'm  _open_  to love," Harry argued, in what would have been a passionate voice if he wasn't so confused at what Sirius was implying. "I've been searching for a real family all of my life! People who would accept me and love me unconditionally. How is that  _not_  open?"

Sirius merely looked back evenly at him, a knowing gleam in his eye. "You can't lie to me, Harry James. I saw your dream... which was sickeningly adorable until your subconscious mind went and mucked it up by adding your uncle into the mix..."

Harry gaped at him while his parents looked back and forth between the two, curiously.

He couldn't believe that it was  _actually_   Sirius in his  _dream!_ And... and... he saw all of that. Saw his shame. His fear of his muggle uncle.

Sirius seemed nonplussed by all of this and brought one of his hands up to tap at his chin in thought. "Now, what was it that your uncle was screaming at you in your dream? How you aren't deserving of love? Or some sort of other rubbish like that."

His mum gasped, and before she could say anything, Harry interjected. "Ok, ok... I guess I'm not  _as_  open as I would like to think."

Sirius nodded smugly, loving that he was proved to be right.

Lily squeezed the hands that she was still holding. "Harry..."

She waited until he turned his attention to her, and she looked imploringly into his eyes. "You do know that what your uncle said in your dream isn't true, right? Sirius, your father and I may be dead, but we will love you forever, no matter what."

"And it's not just us that love you, Son," James added, laying his own hands on top of both of theirs. "You have so many people in your life that love you just as unconditionally as we do. And as soon as you realise that, the happier you will be."

Loose tears leaked out of his eyes as he smiled at his parents. How had he managed to be so lucky, after all? He had the best parents. They were more than he had ever imagined them to be. His heart felt full to  _bursting_.

But then Sirius huffed, feigning impatience, but distinctly trying to hide the redness in his own eyes. "Enough with the serious talk," Sirius said while clearing his throat. "I want to know more about a certain red-head that you've been spending some time with."

His dad suddenly perked up with interest, and he arched an eyebrow at his son. While, his mom merely donned a secret smile, which she tried to suppress.

Harry didn't know what to say. He really wasn't sure what was going on with Ginny, but he knew that there was nothing going on between them, so to speak. At least, not anything that Harry  _wished_  was going on between them. So, Harry smirked mischievously, a smirk that much resembled his father's. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've hung out with Ron a bunch since our first year, but he's doing fine, I guess."

James and Lily roared with laughter, as a twisted look of exasperation overcame Sirius' face. "Harry James Potter, you know very well that I wasn't referring to Ron, you prat!"

Harry gave a few chuckles before he smiled at his Godfather. "I know." Then Harry really thought about who Sirius was actually referring to, and gave a heavy sigh. "There's not much to tell, really. I mean, Ginny has been avoiding me... and she most likely doesn't feel the same way. Not since I rejected her last Christmas."

His dad gave out a snort, and replied, "You should have heard your mum as you rejected Ginny, Harry. She was screaming so loud; I was surprised that the living couldn't hear her!"

Sirius laughed loudly at that, and James merrily joined in, throwing one arm around Sirius' shoulders.

Lily, on the other hand, huffed, annoyed. "Well, can you blame me?! I've been rooting for Ginny since Harry first met her at Kings Cross! She was such an adorable, little thing! Wanting to go to school a year early, but was most upset at being left behind. How eager she was to meet you, Harry, and the way she ran after the train, waving goodbye!" Lily gave what seemed to be a chuckle and a sigh, "I always  _hoped_  that you would wake up and see what has been right in front of you, all along."

Harry thought back on the memory that his mum had painted, and realised - through the new filter of his love for Ginny - that Ginny had been quite adorable. Even way back then, when she was so young... only ten years old.

James let out a derivative snort, jumping Harry out of his thought of a young Ginny Weasley, and all three looked to him. "What? I just find it funny, coming from you, of all people, Lils. I mean, it took you much longer than Harry to wake up and see the  _handsome_  catch in front of you that you have tried to avoid for  _years."_

Then he flashed a grin at Harry and ruffled his hair, while his mum rolled her eyes – obviously not wanting to argue against that point with his narcissistic father. "But don't worry, Son. I wore her down. That same can happen for Ginny."

And despite himself, his dad's own experience with his mum  _did_  give him hope. "Do-do you have any idea as to why she may be avoiding me?" Harry asked, somewhat uncertain. "I mean, first she was so concerned about me, that she took me to the hospital wing. But then she avoids visiting me throughout my entire stay, even though I know that she knows that I want her to come visit me."

Just saying it out loud gave Harry a headache as he realised how complicated it all was.

James and Sirius looked at one another in question, seeming to try brainstorming together without words.

Lily, on the other hand, smiled slightly at Harry and brought one of her hands up to run through the hair on the side of his head. "I think that she may just be a bit overwhelmed, Sweetheart. A lot has changed for her this year, and it's bound to take its toll."

His eyes brows knit together as he thought about this. "Does that mean that she won't want any other big changes to happen? Like dating me instead of being good friends?" Harry frowned at the thought. "That's a pretty big change in dynamic of our relationship. Would she not want to, because she wouldn't be open to it?"

All three shook their heads. "No..." James mused. "Just because she is overwhelmed by the changes, doesn't mean that she wouldn't be open to some welcome changes. No matter how big those changes are."

Harry pondered this. "So, would my asking her out qualify as a welcome change? I mean, I know that it used to be... back when she still fancied me. But do you think that she would be open to giving me another chance?"

Sirius guffawed at this, and somehow, Harry knew that if Sirius had any need for breath, he would most likely be in the middle of a coughing fit at the moment. "You can't be  _serious?!"_

James' bark of laughter came then, and he opened his mouth to say something when Sirius held up one finger to James to stop him. "And don't you dare say that he's not serious, because I'm Sirius." He looked sideways at his oldest friend, the slightest smirk on his lips. "Only I have the privilege to that joke."

Then he zeroed his eyes on Harry, once again flabbergasted, but not nearly as much as before. "Harry, you forget that I spent an entire summer, as well as last Christmas, with the Weasleys in Grimmauld Place. And I've heard some conversations between Ginny and Hermione from time to time as well as gotten to know Ginny a little bit, myself. And got to observe the way she would act whenever you were around..."

Harry looked at him, still not quite getting what caused Sirius' outburst. "And...?"

_"And,"_  Sirius stressed dramatically, "I have come to the conclusion, the very same one that Ron had come to, that Ginny Weasley will always be in love with you."

Harry's jaw dropped.

James nodded his head in agreement. "I thought the same, Padfoot. I mean, how could she not? Harry is the perfect catch! The only trouble is getting her to accept it, once again. Be open to the idea of Harry, again."

Lily suddenly chimed in. "He needs a romantic gesture. Something that Ginny won't be able to ignore, and will have to respond to."

And it was as his three, very important parental figures brainstormed ideas of how he could woo Ginevra Weasley, Harry couldn't help but smile as he watched and listened.

For the first time in his life, feeling completely full of love.

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	21. Chapter 21

 

 

 

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A/N: I've left you waiting long enough! At long last, we get a chapter on Ginny. Please enjoy and leave a review.

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Chapter Twenty-One

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Ginny. Was.  _Starving_.

It was all that she could think about for the last few days...  _Merlin,_ she could barely hear any other thoughts over the loud grumbling of her stomach!

What she wouldn't give to be able to walk into the dining hall at that very moment, and stuff her face in a way that would make Ron proud.

But she couldn't, because...

A loud, painful rumble from her stomach interrupted her line of thinking again. Her hands pressed against her stomach to try to quell the empty feeling, but it only helped so much.

_This is ridiculous!_  Her thoughts yelled at her in a voice that suspiciously sounded like a mix of her mum and Hermione...  _Just go down to the dining hall now, and face the music! But first, stuff your face_ ** _before_** _facing what you've been dreading downstairs._

Her thoughts instantly rebelled against the idea, though her stomach mightily agreed, if the squelching noise was any indication to go by.

She was currently sitting on her bed, her hand clutching at her bedpost to force her to stay put.

Where was a certain raven-haired Gryffindor on a broom with a basket of assorted foods when she needed him?

But she knew that he wasn't coming... because he was contained inside of the hospital wing. A place that she was trying to avoid at all costs. And it was because of said patients admitted in there.

_Merlin!_ She wasn't even supposed to  _want_  him to come see her, anyway! Because Ginny Weasley  _can't_  fancy Harry Potter. Not again.  _Never_  again.

And that was precisely the reason why she hadn't gone to see him for the last week. Because she was too busy trying to convince herself of this to be true.

It was like a mantra in her head, repeated over and over again until she finally believed the words. _'I don't fancy Harry. I don't fancy Harry. I don't fancy Harry...'_

It was a shit lie if she ever heard one...

But really, what else could she do? The only solution that she could think of was to steer clear of Harry Potter like the plague until she was cured of this, well... lovesickness.

But Ginny reminded herself that Harry wasn't alone in her avoidance...

She was also steering clear of her brother. Who wouldn't stop badgering her to go visit Harry in the hospital wing...

Plus, Ron kept giving her weird  _looks_. As though he expected her to do something important, and he just so happened to be in on that secret of what he expected her to do, while she was kept in the dark.

Great. Now she had a headache on top of her empty stomach...

And finally... there was the matter of Dean. The real reason why she couldn't just hop on down to the Great Hall for a meal. Because she was more actively avoiding him most of all. And it wasn't because she had more reason to avoid Dean than Harry. It was because Dean wouldn't  _bloody well_  leave her  _alone!_

He was  _constantly_  trying to talk to her. He would wait outside her classes, badger Collin and Hermione about getting her to forgive him, and he even bloody tried to walk up the girls' staircase to harass her in her room!

Ginny just thanked her lucky stars that Dean hadn't figured Harry's method of getting to the girls' dorms.

Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach - in a way that was completely unrelated to her hunger - as she recalled the image of Harry after he got off his broom in her dorm... his hair was wind-swept... his eyes were alight with the thrill of flying... his face flushed from the adrenaline and the cool breeze...

Ginny snapped herself out of her trance, just as she felt herself start to...  _react_  to the image she had conjured.

She groaned in aggravation and fell back onto her bed in a frustrated flop, then grabbed her pillow, stuffed it onto her face, and screamed.

Her spikes in...  _arousal_... had been a reoccurring nuisance for the last few days. She had needed to change her panties at least twice a day, in order to be able to sit in relative comfort during classes.

It was worse at night... as she lay in bed, and her thoughts drifted off to Harry... she wanted nothing more than to slip her hand down into her panties to quell her need.

But she refused. It felt like giving up, failing her mission to get rid of all romantic feelings for Harry.

Ginny lifted the pillow from her face, feeling slightly better than she had a moment ago, and sat upright again with a sigh.

She had to figure out what to do about Dean. This couldn't go on forever... her avoidance of him.

She knew that she should probably break up with him, and not necessarily because of what he did to Harry - as it wasn't entirely his fault because of the Angerall potion -but because she had feelings for someone else other than Dean. That person was Harry.

But another part of her wanted to hold onto Dean precisely for that reason... She knew it was wrong, but she wanted to be held accountable, to be tethered down by an anchor so she wouldn't find herself floating too close to the cliffs. She wondered if it was right to have Dean be that anchor... just so she had less of a chance to crash into the cliff that was Harry.

As for the incident regarding Dean attacking Harry, she realized a few things a couple of days ago.

She had lectured Dean in the hospital wing about how the Angerall potion just stripped away a person's inhibitions, to reveal what a person was truly angry about underneath. So, Dean really was feeling sour about Harry and his ties to her. But what she realized, was that Dean actually had cause to be concerned about her and Harry. But not from Harry's end, because he had no feelings for her whatsoever... but from Ginny herself.

Dean had a right to feel threatened by Harry when it came to her because it was true.

She had fallen for Harry again. A large part of her knew that she had actually never stopped liking him. She had merely buried all of those feelings for him in a place where they were bound to resurface eventually.

_Wait_ , when had her thoughts switched to Harry again? She was thinking about  _Dean_.

_Dean_... her  _boyfriend_... who...

...was a  _terrible_  snogger.

Ginny had tried to deny it, tried to deceive herself into thinking that it  _had_  been good. But if she were to be honest, the one time that they had snogged, Ginny had felt as though she had been  _drowning_. And Ginny may not be a fragile flower, but the way Dean had been pawing at her skin had  _hurt_. And if she were being extra honest with herself, she would admit that a large part of her had been relieved at the time, when Harry and Ron had interrupted them.

But Dean shouldn't be faulted on his kissing expertise... snogging, like many other things in life, could be taught. Ginny would just have to be patient enough to teach him a better technique.

But at that moment, Ginny felt that she had less patience, and more aggravation at the idea.

Automatically, without her consent, Ginny wondered if  _Harry_  was a good kisser. Heat spread like fire over her skin at the thought. And she found herself admitting that even if Harry was a horrible kisser, she would have plenty fun trying to teach him...

The rumble of her stomach once again snapped her out of her 'Harry daze' and she immediately scolded herself for letting her thoughts get off track, once again.

Ginny really needed to come to a decision about Dean. She knew that it would be the smart thing to just break ties with him, but for some reason, she was still hesitant. Ginny sighed and ran her fingers through her long hair. She just didn't know what to do about him...

But one thing that she was certain of, was that she was starving and that she had to leave her sanctuary eventually.

Then suddenly, an idea came to her, and she didn't know why she hadn't thought of it before.

She could just have Hermione bring her food! The only trouble was, trying to find where Hermione was...

Ginny only thought for a mere moment, before brightening. "The library." She said with utmost certainty. That was where she would find Hermione.

Ginny hopped out of bed, excited at the prospect of food, and quickly left her dorm.

Luck was on her side, as the only person in the common room who had actively set out to get her attention was Seamus - not someone she was avoiding like Ron or Dean - and Ginny merely waved at Seamus and continued on out the portrait door.

Her legs were carrying her fast, her destination set in her mind, started to turn a corner into the next corridor, but quickly jumped back at the sight in front of her.

It was  _Harry_ , down on the other end of the corridor. He was out of the hospital wing... At first, she couldn't help but feel relieved that he was alright. But, there was also regret... regret that she hadn't visited him before he was discharged.

Ginny peaked her head around the pillar and saw that Harry was following Professor Slughorn, something that would normally put Harry in a bad mood. But as Ginny studied him right then, she noticed how...  _happy_  Harry looked. She had never really seen him this content before. He was always at least the tiniest bit tense, especially in his shoulders. But now, he looked quite at ease with himself. Even the way that he was walking was different. As though he were walking on air.

He looked... confident. Attractive.  _So_  attractive.

Ginny bit her lip as she felt herself  _react_  to seeing Harry again. Oh, how she wanted nothing more than to march over to Harry and snog the living daylights out of him. Hell, maybe if she did that, he would start to see her in a different light. In a ' _more than friends_ ' light.

Ginny watched Harry until he walked out of view with Professor Slughorn, and she was left alone in the corridor again.

Sighing, Ginny pushed herself off of the pillar she had been leaning on and continued on her way to the library.

But as she walked, her mind was once again occupied with Harry... and she wondered what it was that was making him so happy.

A selfish part of her was a little upset to see that he seemed to be unconcerned about her avoidance of him... but she immediately brushed those thoughts away. She was glad to see Harry so alight with happiness. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was Harry. His entire life had been filled with one tragedy after the next... she only hoped that whatever was going on in his life right now to cause him so much joy, that it would continue.

It was with that thought, Ginny found herself going through the library entrance. And immediately, she set her search for the mass of wild, brunette curls that belonged to Hermione.

Ginny started to walk by all of the rows of books, looking in between each of the shelves for any tables Hermione may be sitting at.

It was as she was coming up to another row when she heard Hermione's voice.

"...honestly, Harry has nothing to do with it!"

Ginny frowned. Hermione sounded almost defensive as she spoke, and it was an odd emotion to relate to Hermione.

Ginny didn't know who it was Hermione was talking to, but her friend - her  _sister_  - was upset. And Ginny was determined to fix it.

Ginny quickly went around the corner, only to halt right in her steps.

Hermione was sitting at a table, just as Ginny thought she would be, with stacks and stacks of books and parchment paper surrounding her. But that wasn't an odd sight for Ginny to see Hermione in, in fact, it was normal.

No, what brought Ginny up short was the sight of Dean sitting in the chair next to Hermione.

As soon as Ginny had turned the corner, both of their attention's snapped up to her. Both looking surprised to see her, but Hermione had a tinge of frustration in her eyes, as Dean had anger in his.

But that shifted immediately as they recognized that it was  _her_  standing in front of them.

Dean's anger immediately melted away, and desperation took hold.

"Ginn-" He had started to say, but Ginny didn't stick around to hear the end of her name. Instead, she whipped around and started a fast pace for the library exit. Aware that there was no running in the library and she didn't much feel like getting detention for this. But she still wanted  _out_  of the library... out of the  _situation_. As  _fast_  as she could.

But Dean's long legs allowed him to easily catch up to her.

"Ginny,  _wait!"_ Dean grabbed her arm and forced her to a stop, right at the library exit.

"Let me go, Dean!" Ginny said, forcefully, trying in vain to tug her arm away. Her sights were set away from him, focusing only on the exit to freedom from the awkwardness.

But Dean turned her body to face him, and his hands pinned her arms to her side.

Ginny glared at him in annoyance, and a frown appeared on Dean's lips. "No. Not until we talk about all of this. Don't you think I deserve at least that?!"

Ginny scoffed, and she knew that she would have crossed her arms over her chest if she were able to. "There's  _nothing_  for me to say, really. I've already said everything I needed to in the hospital wing."

Dean's eyebrows knitted together in frustration. "Fine, then please, just listen. Because  _I_  have a few things I would like to say."

Ginny glared defiantly at him for a long moment and he stared hard at her right back. Until Ginny sighed, "Fine. I will listen to you, but only if you let go of me."

Dean nodded and hesitantly lifted his hands from her arms, but kept them hovering there. As though he thought that she was about to run away again, and he was ready to catch her.

This annoyed Ginny to no end, his lack of trust in her integrity. She had  _just_  said to him that she was going to listen to him. Did he think that she was a  _liar?_

When she didn't go anywhere, Dean relaxed and smiled at her. A smile that she didn't return as she looked expectantly at him, impatient to get this done with.

"I want to start by saying that I'm sorry," Dean said, and Ginny nodded slowly, not wanting to say what she was thinking just yet.

"And," Dean continued after not getting any sort of response to his apology, "I have a proposition for you."

Ginny's neutral expression betrayed her after that, as curiosity seeped through. She couldn't help it. This wasn't going at all like she had expected. She thought that Dean would just apologize profusely while making up excuses to his behavior. Not actually trying to find a solution.

"Just give me today. Just you and me. To prove to you how good we can be together. And after that, we can decide where we stand."

Ginny stared at him for a long time, as she thought about her options. All the while, Dean looked at her with such hope in his eyes.

Finally, Ginny decided, her resolve hardened, and she opened her mouth to respond...

...

The smile on Harry's face wouldn't leave him, no matter how hard he tried. Sure, he was exhausted for being up half of the night, but last night had been one of the best of his life!

His parents were better than he ever imagined them to be and far better than what others had told him about them.

His mum was so gentle and caring in her spirit, especially in the way she treated Harry. But she also had a fire inside of her, which Harry already knew that he respected people who carried the same fire within them.

He knew for a fact that he respected Ginny for the very same reason.

And his dad was a  _riot!_ Sure, he was cocky as hell - and Harry could attest that Sirius was just as bad on that front - but his dad was also fiercely loyal, and absolutely  _hilarious!_

And just like normal parents with their child, they knew just what to say to rile Harry up.

_"What do you **mean**  I've been acting like a  **prat**?!"_ Harry had exclaimed just a few hours before.

James had chuckled and didn't even try to hide it. _"Well, she's right, Harr. You have been a bit of a prat. Not to mention, awkward as well."_

_"Awkward?!"_ Harry had practically yelled.

_"Shhh..."_ His mum had soothed, an apologetic smile on her face. _"It's not exactly your fault, Sweetheart. It sort of comes with the territory of being a teenager."_

Harry had tried to send a glare at her, but it had melted away immediately, as he couldn't bring himself to look at her in any negative way. _"Is that really supposed to make me feel better?!"_

Sirius hadn't stopped laughing since his mum brought up her opinion on Harry and his prattish behavior.

_"It should!"_ Sirius had laughed. _"Look at James here! He's been a prat basically all his life, and he still managed to get the girl, in the end."_

Instead of being offended by this, his father had merely donned a pondering look as he said, _"I thought that I was an arrogant **toerag,** not a prat...?"_ Then he had shrugged while everyone else laughed, even Harry had managed to crack a smile.

But then he had frowned, puzzled again. _"How exactly have I been acting like a prat?"_

His mum then had pressed her palm to his cheek, and kissed his forehead, before pulling back to say, _"Well, there is the fact that you weren't interested in Ginny until **after**  she grew up into the beautiful girl she is now."_

Harry still wondered how his mum was able to sound forgiving and stern at the same time.

_"I don't like Ginny just for her looks!"_ Harry had exclaimed, feeling slightly defensive. _"I really think that I was starting to like her, even before she had... changed. I didn't know her all that well before we had become friends, so I didn't know of the type of person she was when I rejected her. I remember thinking about how close we had become before I even saw her again this last summer, and how much I wanted to include her in my life! It was just seeing her again, had put things into perspective. Sure, I didn't recognize Ginny for who she was, at first. And when I first saw her, I thought that she was Ron and Ginny's cousin - and I'll admit that I was instantly attracted. But I learned my lesson on there needing to be more than just a pretty face, with Cho... we had absolutely nothing in common besides Quidditch. But with Ginny... she is so much more than a pretty face. Yes, she is stunning, but she also has a fire to her that is addictive. She's playful, mischievous, caring, adorable, and she makes me laugh! That's the real reason why I love her. Her being beautiful is just an added bonus... And besides all that, she knows exactly what I am going through with Voldemort, because she has had him inside of her head, too!"_

Harry had been panting by the end of his rant, and his parents and Sirius had stared at him in shock.

Until Sirius had snapped out of it, and replied, _"Yes, that is all well and good, Harry. But what we are trying to point out is that Ginny might not see it that way..."_

Thinking about that right now again caused Harry's smile to drop a bit. He hadn't realized that the sudden revelation he had about his feelings for Ginny over the summer, could be perceived that way.

But before he had the chance to reply, Slughorn had come into Dumbledore's office. Somehow, Dumbledore had known that Slughorn had arrived, so he came back out of the door he went into before to greet him.

Slughorn had been curious about why Harry had been alone in Dumbledore's office, in his pajamas, no less. But he quickly offered Harry to join him for tea in his own office, after Dumbledore had given him a vague excuse of trying to get more information on how Harry had gotten his concussion. And Dumbledore insisted that Harry went with Slughorn for tea.

So, after changing from his pajamas, that was where Harry found himself now, walking the halls with Slughorn to his office for tea.

"So, Harry, how does it feel to be haunted by your dead parents?" His dad said from behind.

Harry really tried to suppress his smile as he walked with Slughorn, listening to his Professor drone on about his connections - but it was nearly impossible.

Harry hadn't had the heart to let go of the Resurrection Stone just yet. He didn't want to see his parents and Sirius disappear in front of him, not when they had just gotten reacquainted. So, he had to try and pretend that they weren't even there since Slughorn couldn't see them at all without holding the stone as well.

But, of course, his dad and Sirius took this as a challenge to try to get him to laugh to lose his composure in front of Slughorn.

Even his mum came up with some quips to get him to laugh.

But Harry wasn't annoyed in the slightest. He would gander a guess to say that they just were satisfied in seeing him smile.

"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed, acting offended. "You forgot to add that he is also being haunted by his  _devilishly_  handsome Godfather!"

His mum scoffed. "Oh, Sirius... you best not mention death and anything devilish in the same sentence... one may think that they made a mistake with you when you died, and decide to send you in the other direction." Then his mum pointed down to make her point come across.

James burst into laughter at that, and Sirius wore a look of shock at his mum's boldness. His dad put his arm around his mum and pulled her close, kissing the side of her head. "I knew there was a reason why I like you."

Throughout all of this, Harry couldn't help but let out a snicker at his family's antics, especially at the sight of Sirius' face.

"You seem to be in a jovial mood, Harry," Slughorn commented. Harry's smile fell a little bit as he noticed that he had been caught.

His parents and Sirius celebrated their victory on getting Harry to lose his composure, behind him.

"Well, I'm just really glad to be out of the hospital wing..." Harry said, awkwardly.

Slughorn nodded his head in sympathy. "Ah, yes. I was so aghast to hear about your accident, m'boy. Especially against such a powerful wizard, such as yourself..."

"See?" His mum said, proudly, "Even Slughorn thinks you're powerful, Sweetie."

Both Sirius and James scoffed. "Oh please, Slughorn will say anything to butter people up. Especially if he can add them to his 'collection'." Sirius said.

His dad nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, Lils. You only like Slughorn because he would shower you with constant praise."

Lily glared at James. "Well, you only dislike him because he never did the same for either of you!"

They bickered back and forth, none too quietly, as Slughorn continued.

"It must be a pleasant treat for you, then, to join me for morning tea rather than be cooped up in such a bland room as the hospital wing."

Harry had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at that, and couldn't help agreeing with Sirius and his father's opinion on Slughorn.

He would much rather be spending his time searching the castle, trying to find Ginny. As Ginny entered his thoughts, he wondered at how she has been. Had she broken up with Dean after their row in the hospital wing?

All that Harry knew was that he really missed her... being so many days apart from her was starting to take its toll.

Finally, they arrived at Slughorn's office, and he unlocked the door to let them in.

As he stepped through the door, Harry had a look around and was shocked to see how much homier it looked now than when this used to be Snape's office.

"How's about a tour?" Slughorn asked, with a smile.

Harry nodded his head, and Slughorn then proceeded to show him around the office. Then he took Harry to a closed door and opened it. Inside, was a rather large room with many shelves of corked potions and ingredients for potion making. There were also tables with cauldrons of bubbling potion that was stewing.

Lily gasped as she took in the sight. "This is so brilliant! It's almost like walking into an apothecary."

Then she stepped inside to look at all the different labels on the shelves, and Harry followed her, having a look around himself.

"I best be putting on that pot of tea," Slughorn said, suddenly, and started to waddle away as he told Harry over his shoulder that he was free to look around.

After Slughorn left to tend to the tea, Harry and his family explored all the different potions in the room. But then, Harry's attention caught onto one of the potions simmering in a cauldron, with vials sitting next to it, waiting to be filled with potion.

The potion was the prettiest Harry had ever seen. It was gold, for one, and it shimmered brilliantly.

His mum came up behind him to see what he was looking at and gasped delightedly at the potion in front of them. "James! _James,_ come quick! It's Felix Felicis!"

His dad and Sirius came over quickly and gaped at the large cauldron of golden potion. "I've never seen so much of it, before..." James said in awe.

"Me either..." Sirius agreed.

Harry looked up at them all curiously, as they stared wondrously at the potion. "What's Felix Felicis? I mean, what does it do?"

His mum looked up at him, and excitedly explained, "It's liquid luck! It brings the drinker of the potion infinite luck for a full twelve hours. It's also very rare... as you could tell from our reactions. One of the ingredients is the horn of a unicorn... which, as you know, it is really unwise to kill a unicorn. So, you have to wait for them to die naturally in order to get the horn for this potion."

Harry gaped at his mum, then turned his gaping eyes to the  _rare_  potion right in front of them.

Liquid luck... Harry hadn't even known such a potion could exist.

Sirius suddenly snapped out of his awe-like trance and reached forward to grab a vile and cork, before thrusting them into Harry's unknowing hands. "Quick!" Sirius said excitedly. "Knick some before he comes back!"

Harry was gaping at his Godfather instead of the potion now. _"What?!"_

His mum gasped scandalously. "He will do no such thing, Sirius Black! Stop trying to corrupt our son."

"Oh, come on! You know you want some, Harry! It will really help you out with Ginny..." Sirius went on, and at that suggestion, Harry really wanted this potion...  _badly_.

He looked down at the golden liquid with longing in his eyes, but he was still conflicted...

"No, Harry," His mum argued. "It's not yours to take. Tell him, James."

They all looked to his father, who had a thoughtful look on his face, as he stared at the golden liquid, himself.

"Dad?" Harry asked, needing to know his opinion on this matter.

James looked up at the sound of Harry's questioning tone, before finally shrugging. "There's so much of it, I doubt that one vial will even be missed..."

Harry couldn't help it. He gave his dad a beaming smile and went to hug him. James chuckled as he held Harry in return, glad to have his son's approval.

Harry pulled away from his father and turned pleading eyes to his mum. His mum looked torn... on one hand, she was right that it really wasn't his to take. But one the other hand, his dad was right. It was such a huge cauldron, that one vial wouldn't even be missed.

_"Fine."_ His mum said in a huff. "But just  _one."_   She said sternly.

Harry beamed at her and nodded. Before quickly dipping the vial into the shimmering liquid and corking it. Then he stashed it in the pocket of his robes, and left the scene of his crime... going back into the main office, just as Slughorn was coming back into the room with a tray full of biscuits and tea...

...

It was two hours later, Harry was finally free to go. He rushed through the corridors, running with excitement and delight.

The vial stashed away was burning a hole in his pocket.

He still couldn't believe that he had gotten away with it! He had actually knicked a rare potion right out from under the nose of his potions teacher. Though, it did help to have two marauders on his side, coaching him on how to act natural, innocent... and even charming.

His mum had still been displeased but hadn't said anything more on the matter.

Finally, Harry made it up to the Fat Lady's portrait, before realizing that he didn't have the password after days of being in the hospital wing...

Looking at the fat lady with a pleading look, Harry said, "Don't suppose you would just let me in, would you? I've been in the hospital wing, so I don't have the password..."

The fat lady looked him up and down before sighing dramatically. "I suppose this one time won't hurt, Mr. Potter."

Harry smiled brilliantly as the portrait door opened. "Thanks!"

Then he ran inside, pausing briefly to check for any signs of red hair in the common room, before running up the stairs to his dormitory when not seeing any.

When he made it to his dorm, Harry beamed at the sight of Ron still snoring away in his bed. Harry had been right to look for Ron here, as it was Saturday and there was no doubt in Harry mind that Ron would give up the chance to sleep in.

Harry quickly closed the door to their dorm, before turning to his parents and Sirius. "I'll talk to you guys later, I promise."

They all nodded, and with smiles, said their goodbyes.

Harry stashed the stone in a shimmering cloth bag and put it at the very bottom of his locked trunk, before rushing over to Ron's bed. He sat down on the side of Ron's mattress and started to shake his friend awake. "Ron! Wake up!" Harry said with excitement and impatience.

Ron's snoring staggered instantly as he was startled awake, his bleary eyes searching around wildly. "Whacha?!" He exclaimed, and Harry snickered. Then his eyes focused on Harry, finally waking up and brightening. "Hey, mate! Pomfrey finally let you out?"

Harry laughed and shook his head. "No... I think that she would have kept me in for another week if she had her way. No, Dumbledore cleared me."

Ron shook his head and chuckled a bit. "Pays to be the chosen one, and the Headmasters favorite..."

Harry wanted to deny it, but as he thought about it, it was most likely true. So he merely shrugged in response.

Ron sat up in bed and ran a tired hand through his hair. "Listen, mate, about Ginny... I know how much you wanted her to visit you in the hospital wing, and I  _really_  tried. Honest. But I think she has started to avoid me now, too."

In different circumstances, Harry would be upset about being reminded of Ginny avoiding him. But that was all about to change soon...

Harry smiled widely at his best mate of six years. "Don't worry about it, mate. I have a feeling that my  _luck_  is about to change."

With that, he pulled the vial out of his pocket and showed it to Ron.

Ron's eyes bugged out at seeing the shimmering, gold liquid, then he gaped at Harry. "What the  _bloody hell_  is  _that?!"_

Harry smiled deviously and held the vial up to the stream of sunlight coming through the window. "Oh, this? This is Felix Felicis... otherwise known as 'Liquid Luck'. It makes the drinker extremely lucky for twelve hours."

Harry didn't know it was possible for Ron to gape even more. "BLOODY HELL!" He exclaimed. "Where did you manage to get  _that?"_

Harry's eyes now sparkled with mischief. "I sort of knicked it from Slughorn's cauldron... he asked me to join him for tea this morning, and when he went to start a pot, I saw that he was brewing a batch of this. Thought that he wouldn't miss a single vial..."

It was sort of the truth, but it wasn't the time to tell Ron about the stone or his dead family... he would wait until later when he could tell Hermione at the same time.

Ron laughed outrageously. "Who knew that you had it in you, Harry?! It's almost as though you are channeling your inner Marauder!"

Harry didn't know why, but he got a burst of pleasure at hearing what Ron just said. It was almost as though he were carrying on a family tradition.

"So, when are you going to drink it?" Ron asked excitement in his own eyes now.

Harry beamed at him and uncorked the vial. "No time like the present."

Then he lifted the vial up to his lips and drank...

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A/N: Remember to leave a review. They are a real boost to my motivation! :)

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	22. Chapter 22

_._

_._

_._

_"So, when are you going to drink it?" Ron asked excitement in his own eyes now._

_Harry beamed at him and uncorked the vial. "No time like the present."_

_Then he lifted the vial up to his lips and drank..._

_._

_._

_._

Chapter 22

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.

The potion felt warm going down his throat and a took a second before the feeling of infinite possibility overcame him.

Getting Ginny to forget about Dean seemed incredibly simple, now.

He didn't know why he had found it difficult before...

"How do you feel?" Ron asked, curiosity burning on his face.

Harry hopped up from his position on Ron's bed, suddenly feeling energetic.

"I feel like going to the kitchens to get some blueberry muffins," Harry stated, confidently.

Ron's jaw dropped in surprise.  _"What?!_  No, Harry... you need to focus on Ginny,  _remember?"_

Harry pondered this for a mere moment, before shaking his head. "Nope. I'm pretty sure I need to go get those muffins, first."

He started for the door but paused at the whispering in his mind. Then he turned back to Ron while pulling out his invisibility cloak. "Felix says that you should come with me."

Ron still gaped at him for a moment, before shrugging. "Alright. I'm hungry, anyways. Looks like you drank a dummy potion, though, mate. You seem downright loopy..."

Harry merely smiled and put the invisibility cloak over only himself. Knowing that he would need it to get out of the Gryffindor common room. Then he waited while Ron changed.

They walked down the stairs from the boy's dormitories and made their way to the portrait door. As soon as Ron had opened it, it was to see Romilda Vane on the other side.

She had perked up as soon as the portrait door had opened, only to turn disappointed and impatient as soon as she saw that it was only Ron coming through. All the while, Harry sneaked out behind him.

"Is Harry in there?" She asked Ron, all the while trying to look behind him, through the open door to the common room. "Some third years swore to me that they saw him run through here a little while ago..."

Ron gave Romilda an odd look, and asked in a rude tone, "What's it to you, wanting to know where Harry is at?"

Romilda sneered unattractively and crossed her arms. "If you must know, it's to try the new cologne that I got for him."

Romilda held up a glass perfume bottle for Ron to see, and Ron's expression got even more bewildered. "Why would you go and get him a stupid thing like that?!"

Suddenly, Felix told Harry that it was a good idea to spray some of that cologne on Romilda. So, Harry stepped forward, quietly and quickly, and squeezed the pump of spray, that was  _conveniently_  pointed right at Romilda's face. Creating a brief cloud of mist in the air around her head.

Romilda coughed and gagged at the sudden assault of cologne to her face, but then stopped suddenly as a dreamy look overcame her expression.

Romilda dropped the glass bottle, just as Harry stepped away and it shattered on the floor. Then she bit her lip, and let out a long, guttural groan.

Flabbergasted, Ron watched as Romilda Vane started to rub her hands all over herself, her eyes closing in euphoria. "I never realized how  _lovely_  my skin is before..."

Felix told Harry that it was time to move on before any Professors came round. So, Harry reached up, and invisibly tugged at Ron's elbow, and pulled him down the corridor.

When they got far enough away, and in a spot where no other eyes could see them, Harry whipped his invisibility cloak off. Then, looked at Ron, who was still shocked, and looked to be trying to still work out what just happened.

Then his eyes widened and shot up to Harry.  _"Harry,"_  Ron gasped, "I think that Romilda was trying to use a  _love potion_ on you!"

"Yep," Harry said, seeming unbothered and rather chipper in his voice and step.

_"Wow_..." Ron said as he thought on the situation more. "Lucky break you had at Romilda accidentally using the potion on herself..."

Harry nodded firmly. "Yep. Real lucky."

Ron gasped out, as a large grin split his face. "The potion is working, then?!"

"I reckon it is," Harry said, matter-of-factly, before he perked up at the sight of students approaching.

_"HI!"_  Harry shouted at the pair of Hufflepuff students walking in the opposite direction of them.

They gave him twin pairs of amused looks and said hello in return.

"Enthusiastic, aren't you?" Ron asked inquisitively.

Harry nodded eagerly. "It's going to be a good day. Felix told me so..."

Then they turned the last corner and Harry continued on to the painting of the pear, tickled it, then went inside after the painting swung open.

Immediately, a small body crashed into him, wrapping little arms around his legs.

_"Harry Potter_  comes to visit Dobby! Oh, Dobby is so excited, he is!"

Normally, this would be mildly embarrassing to Harry. But to Harry under the influence of Felix Felicis, it just made him down-right giddy.

_"Dobby!"_  Harry exclaimed in delight. Then did what neither Ron or the house-elf would have expected. He reached down and picked Dobby up into a hug and spun him around.

When Harry finally put Dobby down, Dobby had tears of happiness in his eyes.

"Harry Potter seems  _so happy_  to see Dobby. Dobby is so pleased!"

Harry grinned wider and plopped down to his knees on the floor, so he was at the same height as Dobby. "Dobby. I have a secret to tell you... but you must promise not to tell  _anyone_."

Dobby stopped crying as he gasped in delight.  _"Oh!_  Dobby wouldn't tell a  _soul!_  Dobby wouldn't  _dare!"_

Harry nodded seriously, in a way that said that he took Dobby's promise to heart. "You've always been my favorite house-elf," Harry whispered.

Dobby gasped in delight.

_"Shhhhh!"_  Harry shushed frantically, putting his pointer finger to his lips. "Don't tell Winky!"

Ron sighed in impatience and grabbed Harry's arm and tugged him up off the floor. "Honestly, you're acting like you're drunk, mate!"

Harry righted himself but shot a smile at Dobby, which was enthusiastically returned.

"What are we here for, again?" Ron asked, grabbing a pastry another house-elf offered.

"We are here for blueberry muffins," Harry stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

If possible, Dobby brightened even more. "We gots muffins! We gots  _lots_  of blueberries!"

Harry looked at Ron in a way that proved a point. "See? Told you."

Then he turned to a Dobby again as said, "We'll take the lot of it, please."

Dobby nodded and rushed off to get the order ready for Harry.

Harry's eyes perused the kitchen until they landed back on Ron's gobsmacked face. There was a bit of powdered sugar caked around his lips, which were wide open as he gaped at Harry.

"Why the hell do you need so many blueberry muffins?!" Ron asked, completely bewildered.

Harry shrugged. "Dunno. I just got that  _feeling,_  you know? That I will really need them."

Ron stared at him for a long moment, before shaking his head. "You've gone mental..."

Harry shrugged again and hummed a little tune as he waited.

He didn't have to wait long, as Dobby came rushing back with a  _large_  bag of individually wrapped, blueberry muffins.

"Thanks, Dobby!" Harry exclaimed as he took the bag away from Dobby. "We best we going, now!"

Then Harry abruptly turned and left the kitchen, while Ron scrambled to follow him.

"Hey, mate! Wait up!"

Harry didn't wait, but Ron caught up anyways.

They walked the corridor, with Ron following, feeling confused.

Until they saw the first person walking through the halls. It was a Gryffindor student, most-likely a second-year.

Felix told him that he should really give this boy a muffin. So, Harry reached into his bag and pulled one out, offering it to the boy. "Here! Don't be blue! Eat a blueberry muffin!"

The boy looked strangely at Harry for a mere moment, but not wanting to turn down a free, delicious baked good, took the muffin. "Thanks."

"Hope to see you at the D.A. starting on Tuesday!" Harry said as he walked away with a wave.

This continued on, as they passed around muffins to any student passing by. Until the bag was almost empty.

Soon, word spread fast through the castle that Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were handing out blueberry muffins to bring awareness for the D.A.

Once Harry only had four muffins left, Felix told him that it was time to stop passing them out to random students.

So, Harry put the bag into his robe pocket and started toward the castle exit.

Ron groaned behind him, still utterly confused. "Where are we going  _now?"_

"To the lake!" Harry replied over his shoulder. "I just - I don't know - feel like that is the place to  _be_  right now!"

Right as he got outside, Felix told him to put his invisibility cloak back on. So, he did, and walked underneath it towards the lake, with Ron in tow, trudging along out in the open...

...

"No," Ginny replied, with definitive finality in her tone. "You don't get the chance to try anything funny, or distract me with what you think would be a romantic day."

Dean gaped at her in absolute shock. It was clear to her, that he thought that she would say yes. Then a touch of anger and desperation came to his eyes.

"But, Ginn-"

"No." Ginny interrupted. "Whatever plans you've made, can be put in the loo, for all I care."

But then, her expression changed from fierce to speculative. "However, this is what is going to happen. I'm  _starving_  right now, so we'll first go down to the dining hall for breakfast. I'm going to  _stuff my face_ , without a  _single word_  of interruption from you.  _Then_ , we are going somewhere where we can talk. Because I have many answers that I need from you to all of my questions. And then, after all of that,  _we_  won't decide anything.  _I_  will decide where we will stand."

Dean gaped at her in shock and fear, it left Ginny feeling proud of her assertiveness. But she still wanted an answer from him. "Got it?"

Dean broke away from his frozen expression and shakily nodded.

Satisfied, Ginny nodded back, then turned to leave the library, with Dean following behind.

As they walked down the staircase, Dean reached out and grabbed Ginny's arm to steady her when they got close to the trick step in the stair. Ginny shot an annoyed glance at him as he did this, and pulled her arm away. Did he really think that she didn't know about the trick step?! She would have to be  _stupid_  not to...

But she didn't want to blow up at him for something so silly, so she remained quiet - while she was steaming internally.

As soon as they got closer, Ginny was practically running for the Dining Hall door. But just as she entered the hall for a long-awaited delicious meal, it all vanished from the table. Signifying that breakfast was over.

_"No!"_  Ginny exclaimed, miserably.

It felt as though she had been punched in the gut. As though she had been teased with a dirty, dirty trick! Her hopes for food had been so high, and now she felt so bereft... her stomach so empty.

"Looks like you'll have to wait until lunch..." Dean commented quietly from behind her.

Ginny whipped her head in his direction and glared at him with all of her might. Her nose flaring, as she tried to keep the lid on her temper. "Don't. Even. Say. Such. A. Thing."

It was all his fault! If he hadn't been pestering her and respected her desire for distance - like she had wanted - she wouldn't have had to avoid meals.

Dean awkwardly scratched at the back of his neck, before he said, "Well, maybe we can find some food for you..."

Ginny could only nod, as there weren't many options left. She felt like crying at that moment. Really  _cry_.

The last few days were catching up with her. Her emotional turmoil finally threatening to tear her apart.

Her problems with Dean...

Her empty stomach...

Her spike in arousal...

Ron pestering her...

And the fact that Harry would never love her.

But she managed to keep her tears at bay, instead, she put on a brave face, and trudged forward - a single mission in mind.

It was embarrassing going around, asking students for food when they clearly didn't have any.

It wasn't until they came up to a student a long while later, who was eating the last bit of a blueberry muffin, did Ginny's embarrassment melt away, as desperation took place.

She ran forward to the second-year Gryffindor boy, with Dean following behind.

_"Where_  did you get that  _muffin?!"_  Ginny exclaimed.

The boy looked at her as though she were half-cracked of madness, but then the boy's expression melted into something a little odd as he took a good look at her. "Oh, that? Harry Potter is handing out muffins to bring awareness to the D.A. starting on Tuesday!"

Ginny took a step back from her obvious surprise.  _Harry_  was handing out  _muffins_? That didn't sound like something Harry would do  _at all_. Why muffins? And where did he even get so many to pass out to students?

All that she knew, though, was that she just  _had_  to have one!

She had been just about ready to go hunt down the Gryffindor  _hunk_  in question when she suddenly remembered that she was avoiding Harry...

Then she turned to Dean, who had a sour look in his eye as he sent the boy away.

"Dean?"

Dean looked up, the look in his eyes not dissipating in the slightest. "Can you go find Harry to get me a muffin?"

As though by the flick of a wand, Dean suddenly became very angry. " _No_ , I particularly don't want to have to hunt down that  _prat_ , and beg him for a muffin!" Dean snapped, while Ginny reeled back, aghast. "Why does it always have to be  _Harry_  to save the day?! You go missing in your first year? Here comes  _Harry,_  charging in with the  _bloody_  sword of Gryffindor! You're having trouble with spells? There's  _Harry,_  starting up a secret club to help you! You're hungry? He has a platter of muffins ready at the hand!"

"Dean, calm down!" Ginny hissed. "You sound  _barmy mad_  right now! Not to mention jealous, which is just plain ridiculous..."

She didn't need to tell him that his jealousy was so far-fetched...

"Fine,  _whatever,"_  Dean said, then grabbing her hand, he started to pull her down the corridor. "Let's go find you that  _fucking_  muffin."

Ginny gaped at him, then sneered in disgust. He was lucky that they were trying to find food, otherwise, she wouldn't be so keen to go anywhere with him, at all.

They walked around for a long while and hadn't managed to find Harry with the muffins...

Finally, Ginny sighed, ready to give up and to just wait for lunch.

"Let's just go outside and talk, Dean..." Ginny said, miserably. Her stomach aching with emptiness. "Maybe the nice weather will take my mind off of how hungry I am."

Dean nodded, seeming happy that they had given up their search of Harry in favor of spending time alone together.

They started for the front door to the outdoors, with Dean holding Ginny's arm as though she were made of glass...

As they got closer to the door, Dean practically leaped forward to open the door for her. Which would have been fine, if he hadn't insisted on helping her through the door, as well, by holding her arm.

Did he think she was a  _bloody_  one-year-old that needed help walking through doors?!

Ginny's nostrils flared as she tried to keep her breathing calm. She was practically  _shaking_  with the effort of trying not to  _explode_  at him.

Dean led her this way towards the lake until Ginny finally had enough and sat with a huff in the grass. Dean immediately followed suit.

They sat in silence for a long moment, while Ginny started to pick out the grass to try and quell her annoyance.

Dean sat in silence as well, but Ginny could sense how tense he was as he waited for her to say something. But, it seemed that he wasn't too keen to break the silence himself, as he didn't want to be the one to start her line of questioning.

"So," Ginny began, her voice even and steady. "Who do you think put Angerall potion into your goblet?"

This question seemed to throw Dean off, as he didn't answer right away. "I mostly think that Harry was the one to do it..."

Ginny scoffed. "That's shite, and you know it..."

Dean frowned bitterly, starting to get angry. " _Why_? Because it goes against the pedestal that you put  _'Precious Potter'_  onto?"

Beyond irritated now, and starting to feel her own anger build, Ginny snidely replied, "No, that's just not the sort of thing that Harry would do."

"And how could you possibly know that?!" Dean argued right back.

His jealousy of Harry was getting way out of hand. A part of her before thought that it was a little justified because of the fact that  _she_  fancied Harry when she wasn't supposed to. But now it was blown  _way_  out of proportion. It wasn't as though she and Harry had any chance of being a couple. That dream had died for her right when he had rejected her last Christmas.

"Because, if you forgot, Harry is really close to my family. I know the sort of person that he is, and slipping potion into your goblet isn't even something that would  _occur_  to Harry, let alone for him to do it."

"But how can you be  _so sure_  that he wouldn't?" Dean snapped back.

Ginny felt herself getting tenser and tenser the more that they talked about this.  _"Because_  just look at how he was raised!" Ginny exploded. "He has been picked on and bullied all his life! By his  _own family,_  no less!  _Why_  would he ever inflict the same on someone else, when he  _knows_  how it feels?!"

Dean became quiet, and it seemed as though he had no answer to give her.

Ginny huffed, and yet again, tried to calm herself down...

How had the conversation already gotten this out of hand when she had only asked one question?

"What is your problem with Harry?" Ginny asked her second question, knowing that it was a dangerous one to ask him while he was already so on edge.

Dean rolled his eyes heavily at this question. "Isn't it obvious? You had feelings for him for how many years? Plus, it's the way that he  _looks_  at you, Ginny! It looks as though he's one moment away from jumping your bones!"

Ginny was, quite frankly, taken aback by this obvious delusion. So, shaking her head, she dismissed what he had just said. "You're honestly just imagining things."

Though a little voice in her head whispered that she wished what Dean was saying had been the truth...

"I'm not lying!" Dean raged. "It honestly makes me  _sick,_  the way that he looks at you!"

"It can't possibly be true, Dean. And you want to know why?!" Ginny exclaimed, getting more and more emotional as she thought on what she was going to say. "Because I had  _confessed_  my feelings to Harry last Christmas. And you know what happened? He  _rejected_  me.  _What_  does that  _tell you?!"_

A single tear managed to escape from her eye, and Ginny hastily brushed it off of her cheek with her palm, now feeling vulnerable with the desire to hide her face.

They sat there in silence as they both thought on what Ginny had just said.

"So, given the chance, you would rather be with him than me, wouldn't you?" Dean asked, a hardness to his tone. As though he already knew the answer to his question.

Ginny found that she couldn't answer right away, somehow having lost her voice...

"...This isn't about me that we're talking about..." Ginny said quietly, not able to say the truth out loud.

Dean glared down at her from her reply. "That means yes."

Getting angry once more, Ginny glared right back. "You want to know the truth?! There was a  _reason_  why I chose to be with you! I saw  _something_  in you that I liked. But this jealousy... this  _rage_... it really makes it difficult for me to remember what it was I initially saw in you in the first place!"

Dean was starting to shake with his anger. "You want a reason?! How's  _this_  for a reason?!"

With that he forcefully pulled her to him, planting his lips on hers.

It was just a terrible as she remembered, Dean's kiss. It was too harsh... too bruising... not at all like the soft, warm kiss that she had always desired a kiss to be.

Ginny struggled against him, but Dean held on tight, molding his lips around hers.

It was then that a flash of light burst at Dean's back and she  _swore_  that she heard Harry's voice, right before the curse hit.

_**"** _ **_Everte Statum_ ** _**!"** _

Dean instantly fell over as though a great force pushed him to the ground. Forcing his grip and lips away from Ginny.

For a moment, Ginny could only stare wide-eyed at the boy lying below her... before her eyes flashed up in search of a boy with raven hair and green, bespeckled eyes... But he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Instead, her brother, Ron, was striding towards them, full of fury as his hand fisted his wand. Ready for the aim...

_"Oy!_  What the  _bloody hell_ did you think you were doing _to my sister?!"_  Ron yelled as he came closer, looking about ready to take Dean's eyes out.

Seeing her brother's outrage took Ginny out of her stupor and she quickly stood and whipped out her wand.

And with shaking fury, she pointed her wand at Dean and performed her strongest Bat-Bogey Hex to date. So strong, that it wasn't bats that came out of Dean's nose, but black  _cats_...

Ron had stumbled to a halt, fury no longer on his face... only shock and awe.

It all became too much for her to be there. She was... she was  _overwhelmed_. Had been for the last few days, but only now was it catching up to her.

But overall, she was so. Fucking.  _Mad!_

Ginny stormed off towards the castle without another thought... wanting, more than anything at that moment, to be  _alone_...

...

Harry watched as Ginny stormed away, looking more furious than he has  _ever_  seen her.

Harry felt the urge to immediately follow her but Felix told him then that it was a good idea to cancel Ginny's Bogey hex on Dean.

Ron had already run ahead to catch up with Ginny, yelling for her to wait.

After canceling the hex, Dean instantly scrambled to his feet and with a coughing fit, ran after Ginny, as well.

Felix told Harry to run as well, so Harry ran...

It took him a little while to catch up and when he did, Ginny was already muttering the password to be let inside. Dean was hovering right behind her, apologizing profusely. While Ron had stopped trying to console his sister and was looking all around the corridor, searching for Harry, no doubt.

Suddenly, Felix whispered another suggestion in his mind and Harry jumped to action.

As soon as Dean reached out to help Ginny through the portrait door - Harry crept up next to Ginny under his invisibility cloak, and went through the portrait door with her, brushing by her and causing her to stumble.

Ginny righted herself, before turning fiery eyes toward Dean - who still had his hand outstretched in front of him. Her ferocity was at an all-time high.

_"Did you really just_ **push**   _me through the door_?" Ginny hissed, slow and low. While Harry marveled at her beautiful anger.

Ginny was  _magnificent_. She was a  _vengeful_   ** _goddess_**.

"What?" Dean asked, looking genuinely confused. "No... no, I didn't. I was just helping you through, is all!"

Felix told Harry to quietly go over and sit in the chair next to the fire. Harry did so - unnoticed by everyone who was intently watching the dramatic scene in front of the portrait door - and slipped off his invisibility cloak, watching the scene with everyone else.

"I  _felt_  you push me!" Ginny exclaimed, the tone of her voice rising.

"I  _told_  you that I didn't!" Dean yelled back, starting to get just as angry as Ginny. "You're just sour because Harry went and  _ruined_  our day!"

Felix told Harry that now was the time to speak.

_"Really...?"_  Harry spoke loudly from his corner by the fire. All eyes in the common room automatically landed on him. The students close to him were surprised to see him sitting there. Even Ron was surprised, judging by his face as he gaped at him through the open portrait door...

Harry stared evenly at Dean, who's anger was momentarily forgotten by his surprise. "And what  _exactly_  did I do, Dean? Give someone a concussion, perhaps? That's been known to ruin a person's day... or even force them into the hospital wing for a week."

Immediately, all their classmates broke into whispers amongst one another, wondering if it was really true that Dean was responsible for Harry's stay in the hospital wing...

For a moment, Dean looked at a loss of what to say. Ginny, herself, had yet to take her wide eyes off of Harry, a fact that immensely pleased him.

Felix told Harry to wait for Dean to speak before he said anything more, so Harry waited. With pursed lips and a raised eyebrow, Harry merely stared and waited.

Finally, frustration at the situation Dean found himself in, caught up to him. "You  _know_  what I'm talking about! You hexed me outside! I know it was you! I recognized your voice!"

"All that I've seen Harry do today was pass out muffins in the corridor for the D.A.," Lavender spoke up from the other side of the room, her eyes soaking up all of the drama in front of her. "And from what I understand, that's all he's done all day..."

Harry fought the urge to smile, as his alibi was finally put out on the table.

Suddenly, Harry's eyes locked with Ginny's and he tried to convey all the emotions he was feeling through his eyes. It seemed to snap Ginny out of her trance, and she turned to Dean with newfound anger within her.

"Besides,  _if_  Harry had been the one to curse you, I can't say that it wasn't unwelcome," Ginny said, coolly.

Dean's eyes bugged out as he dropped his glare on Harry to whip his attention to Ginny. "What's  _that_  supposed to mean?!"

"You know as well as I do how  _forced_  that kiss was, Dean."

Dean gaped at her, obviously not understanding what she meant. "What are you talking about?! I was only trying to show you how passionate I am!"

Ginny's face reddened, and her body started to shake. And Harry knew that Ginny had finally reached her boiling point.

"I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I BOTHER WITH YOU!" Ginny yelled in his face, then she whipped around and headed for the Girls Dormitory stairs.

"What's  _that_ **supposed**  to imply?!" Dean yelled after her.

Ginny stopped and turned to face him at the top of the stairs. Her eyes wild with fury, and her magic making her fiery, red hair float around her. As though she were caught in the wind.

Harry lost his breath at the sight of her then.

Ginny Weasley was, quite literally,  _breathtaking_.

"It means, that  _WE_.  _ARE_.  _DONE_."

As she said the words, it was as though a chill of ice swept over the room.

All that Harry knew, was that he was  _captivated_.

Ginny turned, and left, disappearing around another bend of stairs. But her words remained behind, echoing in everyone's ears. Until they seemed to finally catch up to Dean, as the shock wore off and the deepest look of misery and regret overtook his entire body.

Almost as though on cue, the entire room burst into gossip and comments on what just happened.

Harry stood from his seat and made his way over to Ron, who had beckoned him over enthusiastically.

Dean seemed to still be in shock, as he didn't make any move or comment as Harry passed by him - instead, he stared blankly at the stairs Ginny just disappeared from.

Ron suddenly grabbed him by wrapping a brotherly hug around his shoulders.  _"That was_ ** _bloody_** _brilliant!"_  Ron whispered with as much excitement he could muster with such a small voice.

Harry smiled brilliantly at his best mate and held up his hand for Ron to clap hands with. "It was, wasn't it...? Nice work we did, huh, mate?"

And while Harry was smiling on the outside, on the inside, he was itching to  _leave_  the common room...

He didn't need Felix to tell him where he should be at that moment...

So, he slouched and faked sudden fatigue, his hand caressing his head.

Immediately, Ron's expression grew alarmed. "What is it?! Your concussion?" Ron's eyes flashed and focused on Harry's scar. "It's not  _Voldemort,_  is it?"

Harry shook his head and replied, "No... I just got  _really_  tired all of a sudden. I think I might be a side effect of the potion..."

Ron's concern diminished but didn't disappear. "Why don't you go upstairs and sleep, mate? Looks like you need it."

Harry tried not to smile as Ron said just what he wanted him to say.

"I think that I'll do that..." Harry yawned.

Then he headed for the Boys Dormitory stairs, aware of all the eyes watching him - whispering and asking questions of what part he played in the dramatic scene that had just unfolded in front of them.

As soon as Harry got to their dorm, he ran straight for his broom, but before mounting it, Felix reminded him to close his bed curtains and place a sticking charm on them.

A moment later, he was on his broom and in the air with only one destination in mind.

When he made it to her window, he tapped on it hesitantly, unsure if she would even want to see him.

He may have luck on his side but Felix didn't suggest that he come here... that was a decision made up entirely on his own.

It took a moment before the rustling of curtains pushed out of the way and  _there she was_.

Ginny Weasley. The girl he loved... who looked so lost and confused.

Harry motioned for her to let him in, and - after a moment of hesitation - she opened the window. Harry slowly flew in and landed before he turned to face her.

Her face looked guarded, as though she had constructed a wall between them that she was hesitant to break down.

Harry took two steps closer, before stopping, and reaching into his robe's large pocket - pulling out the bag of remaining muffins.

"I wasn't sure if you'd be hungry..." Harry said, as he reached into the bag with his other hand and pulled out the muffin.

Ginny stared at the muffin in his hand with so much emotion... before she suddenly broke down into heaving sobs.

She launched herself forward and Harry opened his arms just in time to catch her.

Her hand fisted the shirt he wore under his robes as she cried into his chest, Harry's hand holding her head there while keeping her body steady with his own.

Her tears soaked the front of his clothing and Harry slowly led them over to her bed, where he pulled away from her just long enough to lay down and to guide her to lay on top of him.

Ginny clung to him tightly as she cried and Harry said no words as she worked all of the emotion out of her system. Instead, he gave her a physical comfort by his fingers running through her hair and small pecks to her forehead.

Eventually, Ginny's breathing started to calm and her hand slowly came up to take the muffin from him.

Harry couldn't see her face, so he could only listen as she ate, her chewing only interrupted by the odd sniffle or shuddering sigh.

After the first, Harry reached into the bag and grabbed her another. And after that, another one... and so on, until they were all gone.

After she had finished the last, the sky had darkened to twilight and Harry used his wand to Accio his broom as well as close her bed curtains.

They lay in silence in the dark, just listening to the other breathe... feeling the other's heartbeat.

Until Harry spoke the first words since he had first offered her the food.

_"I really missed you, Gin_..." He whispered to the ceiling of her canopy.

Ginny didn't respond at first. Instead, she turned her face more into his shoulder, pressing her nose into the crook of his neck.

Until, finally, she whispered back, " _I missed you, too_."

Harry smiled to the canopy above and wrapped his arms tighter around her. He closed his eyes, feeling the most content with her pressed up against him.

And it was as he felt the effects of the Felix Felicis potion leave him, did Ginny whisper brokenly into his shoulder, " _I think I want to be single for a long while_..."

Harry's eyes shot open wide, while Ginny's breathing slowed... before she fell into a deep slumber.

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**A/N: I** _**KNOW** _ **that you want to leave a review after** _**that** _ **!**

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	23. Chapter 23

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Chapter Twenty-Three

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The sun's rays had just risen over the horizon when Ginny woke. Her brain was fuzzy, as it took its time to wake up fully. But during that time, she had trouble working out where she even was... or what she was laying on top of...

Disoriented, Ginny lifted her head and opened her groggy eyes - and was shocked to see  _Harry_  snoozing away underneath her. His glasses were askew and his nose was flaring with his every breath. And even a shadow of stubble was growing on his face.

At first, she was perplexed at why he was there... in her bed. Before her memories from the previous day came rushing back to her. It had been such a horrible, emotionally-wrought day...

But then Harry had swooped in and made it all better with only a bag of muffins... and the day could have ended just fine for her like that. But then, he had to be so sweet as to embrace her as she had burst into tears - after feeling so overwhelmed by his kind gesture after such an awful day.

And not only did he embrace her, but he had also continued to hold her as he silently decided to stay with her through the night. He was more than what she deserved... but what she realized last night was that she needed him in her life. No matter if it was in a romantic way or not, she could avoid him, no longer.

Because Dean had been right about one thing... Harry was always around to save the day for her... whether it be from Tom Riddle, from her own hunger, or conquering her own loneliness - Harry would always be there to save the day. He would always be that hero in her life.

And no matter how much it pained her to not mean more to him than friendship, she would take all that he was willing to offer her. Because it was more painful to not have Harry be a prominent part of her life than the pain of just being friends.

As Ginny watched Harry sleep, she couldn't help but marvel at how peaceful he looked as he slept... His face was so open, so unmarred by any lines of worry or responsibility - as it was when he was awake.

Hesitantly, Ginny lifted her hand up to inspect his face with her touch. Her fingers brushed back his messy, jet-black hair and she was surprised at how soft it felt to the touch. From how thick his hair appeared to be, she would have thought that his hair would have a coarse texture. Instead, the strands felt like silk. It was then that Ginny found that she had another reason to be obsessed with his hair… as she was quickly becoming overly fond of touching it.

It was in the next moment where Ginny's sight caught on the lightning bolt scar on Harry's forehead. In all honesty, Ginny sometimes forgot that Harry even had the famous scar at all because of his habit of hiding it with the fringe of his hair. But it was at that moment where Ginny realized that she had never been this close to seeing his scar, at all. And despite herself, she found herself dying with curiosity.

Hesitantly, letting her fingers fall from his hair, they traced down from his black locks to his forehead. But before she could lay a finger on the famous mark of the 'Chosen One', she found her finger freezing in place just a fraction of an inch away from it - for some reason, she found the act that she was about to commit was strangely  _erotic_. Ginny could hardly breathe, mostly from self-infliction as she was holding her breath, and took the leap, touching the scar.

A flash of heat shot up her arm, magic that Ginny had never felt before in such a strong capacity. But she had felt it in small ways… whenever Harry held her hand or held her in his arms, she would feel a similar – albeit, in a smaller – form of heat shoot up from wherever they were touching.

As soon as Ginny had touched his scar, Harry whimpered in his sleep, then groaned in a purely guttural, and sensual fashion. Ginny found herself panting at the overwhelming sensations as she felt her sex  _react_  to them, as well as Harry's subconscious reaction.

Finally, it was too much for Ginny to bear without also caving to her own need and touching where she so desperately needed to be touched. So, she forced her fingers away… trying to catch her breath as well as her right mind.

It took a long moment for her to calm down from the bizarre occurrence that happened just from Ginny touching his scar. And when she did calm down, she thought it best to keep her touch  _far_  away from his forehead.

Instead, she felt that it was safer for her to inspect other places of his face. So, she traced her fingertips along his  _angular_  jawline... Ginny frowned, perplexed, wondering when had he exactly gotten that?

 _Probably when he had grown more handsome than usual this last summer_... her thoughts mused back at her.

Biting her lip, her fingers traced other parts of his face... his cheeks, his nose, his chin... until finally, she couldn't help but trace his lips as well. And found them to be so... soft, and pliant. Ginny couldn't imagine the lips she was currently touching to have a kiss as bruising as Dean's kiss had been.

A part of her was saddened at the fact that she could only wonder at what Harry's kiss would be like... but the rest of her just basked in the whole fantasy of it. She knew that he would always be gentle with her, but not in a way that made it seem as though she were made of glass. He would just be aware of how much she could handle.

But just because he would be gentle didn't mean that Harry wouldn't ever be passionate. She could imagine, in her mind's eye, the way he would run his hands along her thighs, before hiking one leg up around his hip to allow room for him in between. How he would tangle his fingers in her hair, angling her face in just the right position for his mouth to take hers...

Ginny squirmed around just at the thought, trying to quell the heat between her legs. But as she squirmed, she adjusted her position on top of Harry lower than she had been...

What the  ** _BLOODY_** _Merlin_...?!

Poking her right on the hip, was Harry Potter's  _manhood_. And not just his  _manhood_... his  ** _erect_** _manhood_.

She, Ginny Weasley was feeling, at first hand, Harry Potter's  _morning wood_...

Ginny bit her lip harder as to stifle her moan... she couldn't possibly believe that this was happening! It would probably be the  _one and only_  time that she would ever feel  _Harry's erection_...

Unless…

Her thoughts started moving a mile a minute.

Unless, she had another meltdown, and Harry decided to spend the night again to make her feel better... maybe then she would accidentally feel his hardness again. Ginny wondered if it would be alright to fake being upset, just to make that happen. As she had only woken up to him in her bed this one time, and she already found herself addicted.

As she thought this, all of her focus was on Harry's erection, and how it felt against her. She couldn't exactly tell the size of him, as his trousers kept him well contained, but what she did know was that he was  _large_.

Ginny squirmed once again, to get a tad bit more comfortable - as well as to alleviate the wetness she felt soiling her panties. And as a result of her squirming, Harry groaned again in his sleep, and she actually  _felt_  his erection  _twitch_  against her hip!

Alarm bells went off in her mind. She knew that this was wrong, that she should move away from him, but she had a difficult time doing so...

Ginny took a deep breath, and held it, before forcing herself off of his body entirely, and away from the temptation.

Such a big movement woke Harry, as his eyes snapped open to stare right into her wide gaze.

Ginny wondered what she must look like to him... eyes as wide as a child getting caught doing something troublesome... and on top of that, her hair must be a complete mess, her eyes puffy from all of her crying the night before, and her lips swollen from Dean's rough, bruising kiss.

But, at the sight of her, Harry smiled. He didn't laugh at her appearance, or look at her in disgust. No, he smiled at her as though he were genuinely glad to see her. Ginny felt the need to swoon in the form of a sigh, but she managed to suppress it. What did she do to deserve him? He was just so good to her... so caring. It didn't go beyond Ginny's notice that if they were a couple, it would be the perfect moment to share a kiss.

"Hi," Harry said, his throat scratchy from a whole night of being unused.

Despite herself, Ginny felt herself warm to his presence and she couldn't help but smile back at him. "Hello."

Harry smiled wider as he put his arms over his head to stretch his entire body until he was satisfied. But as he stretched, his shirt hiked up a bit and Ginny caught sight of bare skin...

She couldn't help but stare, especially when her eyes caught onto the still-prominent bulge in his trousers. She stared until she was distracted by Harry turning his body on his side to face her. Her eyes snapped up to his face, which held a slight frown, and a perplexed pucker between his eyes. At first, Ginny thought that she had been caught looking at his  _private anatomy_.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked, worriedly, and her fears subsided. He had only been concerned about her state of mind. And it was no wonder, after last night...

Ginny smiled at him and replied, "Better." Before she bit her lip and looking down in embarrassment. "I'm sorry for losing it last night..."

Before she even finished, Harry was shaking his head, lifting her chin with his finger. "Don't worry about it. I-I  _wanted_  to take care of you..." Harry coughed, and his hand reached up to pull at the collar on his shirt, trying to loosen it. "But, um, I was wondering... do you regret what you did... um, yesterday, I mean?"

Ginny looked at him oddly, before understanding came to her. "You mean breaking things off with Dean?"

Harry nodded, seeming slightly uneasy for some reason.

"No." Ginny shook her head. "It was towards the end of that... well, let's call it,  _disaster_ , where I was really starting to doubt our relationship. And you know what? That was when I remembered the promise I made you during the summer. Do you remember?"

Harry's started to smile. "It was the day we sat at the pond. I had you promise me that if you had any doubts that you would seriously reconsider your relationship with him."

Ginny nodded, indicating that what he remembered was correct. "And now, looking back, I realize that I had many doubts... ones that I should have seriously reconsidered. But I guess I just kept telling myself that Dean and I were in a relationship for a reason... and that reason should be fought for. The problem is, that I forgot the reason why we were even together... and I realized that as soon as I saw you in the common room yesterday." Ginny blushed, embarrassed for admitting it out loud. "I kept hearing your voice inside my head, telling me that since I was doubting, I should reconsider..."

Harry grinned, "At least I sound smart in your mind."

Ginny laughed and hit him slightly on the shoulder. "You're  _practically_  a Professor! Trust me. You're smart."

Harry mock pouted and rubbed at the shoulder she just hit, before - in a flash - he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. And what surprised her even more, was the kiss that he planted on her forehead.

"You deserve far better than Dean Thomas, Gin..." Harry whispered as he rested his cheek on top of her head. "In fact, you deserve the world."

Ginny melted inside at the combination of the kiss on her forehead, the embrace he willingly gave her, and his nickname for her - the name she would only allow him to use.

 _'If only I was enough to deserve you, Harry Potter_...'

Ginny knew that this thought reminded her of the decision she had made last night. It was while being held in Harry's arms, Ginny couldn't even fathom the idea of getting that close with anyone else. Thus, coming to the conclusion that it was best for her to be single for a long while. Because not only would it be unfair to the poor bloke she would constantly compare to Harry... but it wouldn't be fair to herself. As Ginny didn't think that she was up for another emotionally tremulous relationship when she deeply fancied someone else.

With the thought of the person she fancied in question, she pressed her cheek more deeply to his chest. She closed her eyes and sighed, wishing for things that Harry wasn't willing to give her...

"So..." Harry said, speaking up when she didn't say anything. "Can I ask you something?"

Ginny merely nodded, still somewhat lost in her thoughts.

"Why have you been avoiding me?"

Eyes popping wide open, Ginny's head shot up and she turned to look at him. His body seemed a bit disturbed by her abrupt movement, but he quickly got over it and soon stared levelly at her, quirking an eyebrow in question.

"Y-you noticed that?" Ginny asked, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Harry nodded. "It's kind of hard not to when you are in the hospital wing and one of your closest friends somehow doesn't have the time to stop by... no matter how much I asked and pestered about you."

Ginny bit her lip, feeling immensely guilty and now unable to meet his eye. "I-I've been a bit... conflicted about things, lately."

Harry reached out and took her hand - in a form of comfort, no doubt. Not anything else, despite how much Ginny wished otherwise. But as soon as he touched her, she felt that small heat once again. "What sort of things?"

 _'Like the fact that I am fighting my feelings for you_...'

"It mostly had to do with Dean..." Ginny said, knowing that it was only half of the truth. "It wasn't just you that I avoided. I really just needed some time to myself... to figure out my thoughts."

Finally finding the courage to look up at him again, it was to see Harry contemplating her explanation.

"I'm really sorry for not coming to see you."

Harry's eyes met hers and he shrugged off her apology. "It was very lonely in the hospital wing... but I forgive you. And I know the perfect way for you to make it up to me..."

Intrigued, Ginny couldn't help the tilt of her head and the arch of her eyebrow in curiosity. "And what's that?"

Harry shrugged nonchalantly. "Other than undying loyalty and a lifetime of servitude?" Ginny hit his shoulder again while Harry laughed. "No, mostly I just want you to accept your new position..."

Ginny frowned in confusion. "Position?" She asked.

Harry nodded, seemingly unable to keep the smile from growing on his face. "Your position as Co-Captain for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I figure with all the work that I'm bound to have this year, I'm going to need the extra help, and-"

Before he could finish, Ginny launched herself into his arms, practically on top of him. " _Yes_! Oh,  _Merlin_ ,  _yes_!" Ginny exclaimed, hardly able to believe it. Then pulling away to look down at his own excited eyes, it was to see the happiness in them matching her own. "This isn't a joke, right? You aren't trying to trick me, are you? Because  _Merlin knows_  that if this is just a prank, Harry Potter, I swear on  _Godrick's ballsack_  that the things that I will inflict on you-"

She was interrupted by Harry's laughter. "No, this isn't a trick. I really do want you to be my Co-Captain!"

Ginny could only beam at him in awe and found that she couldn't stop nodding.

"Does that nod constitute as a yes?" Harry asked, bloody well already knowing the answer.

Ginny merely continued to nod vigorously, still not able to find the words to express her excitement or gratitude.

Why did he have to be  _so perfect_  to her? He always made everything better, without even trying. Just his presence alone brightened her day.

Harry smiled at her silent acceptance. "Then I guess congratulations are in order!"

Finally finding her voice again, Ginny grinned back at him. "Yes, thank-you, so much! For everything. Now, let's celebrate with a nice, large breakfast!"

She could feel her stomach on the verge of growling... and she sat up from on top of him, and peaked out of her curtains to check if the coast was clear.

Shaking his head in mock dismay, Harry couldn't help but jibe in a teasing tone, "Forgive me. I forgot that Weasleys have an appetite that needs to be tended to before the appropriate times."

Ginny quickly closed the curtains and mock glared at him in return. "Shh! Don't make me bat-bogey you..."

Harry merely chuckled softly and kept his mouth shut, just as she asked. And sat up as well, grabbing for his broom he had Accioed on the bed, last night.

Ginny peaked through the curtains again and got a better look at the closed curtains of her dorm mates beds. Soft snoring could be heard echoing around the room, and Ginny sighed in relief. Then, she turned back to Harry and motioned for him to follow her. Harry nodded and together, they both left the wonderful privacy of her bed.

Ginny tried to open the window as silently as she could, but a few squeaks broke through the air, and with each squeak, they both cringed.

When the window was finally open wide enough for Harry to get through, Harry turned and put his mouth to Ginny's ear, whispering, "I'll meet you down there, Gin."

When he stepped back from her, Ginny smiled at him and nodded. Then with one last grin at her, Harry mounted his broom and flew out the window. Ginny watched until he was out of sight as he rounded to the other side of the tower - before she turned back to her dorm, looking for something casual to wear for the last day of the weekend...

...

Harry flew through his dorm room window and landed with the softest thud he could manage. Quickly getting off his broom, Harry still couldn't believe how uncomfortable it was to fly with a hard-on... a large part of him still considered it a miracle that Ginny hadn't accidentally brushed against it when he had so carelessly pulled her on top of him for a hug.

But he really couldn't help it... all of the blood from his brain had been - and still currently was - in his dick. And sure, he could chalk it up to just being the morning... but the fact of the matter was, that Ginny was so  _damn sexy_  in the morning. The best sight he could possibly wake up to.

Her mussed up red strands had looked like sex hair... her clothes were rumpled, with her shirt ridden up - showing off her tight abdomen, and cute belly button.

Oh, how he had just wanted to wrap his mouth around that belly button... among other places on her body where he wanted his mouth to be.

She hadn't been wearing a bra underneath her shirt, either... Harry had known last night, having felt her protruding nipples on his chest as he held her on top of him. But Harry had also noticed the outline of her nipples through her shirt, this morning. He found himself wanting to nip at them softly with his teeth...

His cock twitched with interest in his trousers - which couldn't comfortably contain his erect length. And Harry fought to stifle a groan, his hand going down to adjust himself.

But that one touch made it worse, as he was so desperately turned-on, that his touch only added fuel to the fire.

Harry knew that he had to take care of it before he went down to see Ginny again. Otherwise, he would risk something embarrassing happening to him in front of her.

Deciding, Harry leaned his broom against his bed and grabbed a towel with a change of clothes. Before, hastily making his way into the bathroom and shutting the door.

Harry turned on the water to the shower, and quickly took off his glasses and stripped while he waited for the water to warm up.

Seeing his achingly hard length still managed to surprise him, as it wasn't a normal sight he would see before he started falling for Ginny...

Now, he was so hard, his cock stood straight up against his abdomen... but it made sense, seeing as he hadn't been able to beat off since before he wound up in the hospital wing.

A problem he was going to rectify now.

Harry stepped into the shower, relaxing a bit underneath the hot spray. Before, his hand sneaked down and took a hold of his length - finally free to bring forth his fantasies of Ginny...

_They were sneaking around under his invisibility cloak, together. Through the Hogwarts halls on the seventh floor. Somehow, Harry had managed to convince her to help him spy on Malfoy, to see what he was up to. But they hadn't managed to find any trace of the Malfoy heir, and both were getting rather antsy. Ginny couldn't stop squirming beside him, as a red flushed across her cheeks and chest. Where her breasts were only partially hidden by the tight, v-neck sweater she was wearing - which was green to match his eyes._

_"What's wrong, Gin?" Harry asked, incredibly concerned. The more that she squirmed, the more she would accidentally bump into him underneath the limited space of the invisibility cloak._

_Ginny bit her lip adorably, fidgeting more, as they came to a stop._

_"I can't_ **_wait_ ** _any longer, Harry," Ginny breathed and unexpectedly pushed him over to the wall. "I'm so_ **_desperate_ ** _for you, I_ **_can't stand it_ ** _!"_

_With that revelation, Ginny's hands came to the belt buckle on his trousers and started to undo it._

_Harry's eyes bugged out, as he immediately caught on to what she was implying. "Wait, you mean_ **_here_ ** _, Gin?!" Harry asked, shocked and amazed at the same time._

_Ginny nodded vigorously. "Please. I feel as though I may catch fire from how_ **_hot_ ** _I am for you right now!" Ginny got his trousers down, pulling his briefs down with them so that his cock sprung free from its confines._

_"Besides," Ginny said, licking her lips as her eyes were locked on his erection. "No one can see us under your invisibility cloak..."_

_Ginny reached out to wrap her fingers around his length, but before her hand could make purchase, Harry stopped her. "Wait, Gin..."_

_A flash of defiance came to her eyes. "Why?_ **_I want you_ ** _, Harry." Then her face crumbled, showing vulnerability underneath. Her wide eyes pleading at him so innocently. "I_ **_need_ ** _you."_

_Harry groaned and turned them, so she was the one pressed against the wall now. Then, he kneeled down to his knees in front of her and hiked up her skirt. "Let me take care of you, first..." He said, looking imploringly into her eyes._

_"_ **_Yes_ ** _!" Ginny said, her fingers tangling themselves into his hair, "Yes,_ **_please_ ** _!"_

_Harry smirked at her, before turning his attention to the pleasant sight of her bare cunny right in front of his face. The little minx wasn't wearing any panties..._

And it was just as his fantasy counterpart was going to tease her for the vixen she was when Harry blew his load...

 _"Ughhhh_ , Gin..." Harry groaned out loud, as stream after stream of his seed poured out onto the shower floor. Until, he was finally sated, and all traces of it washed down the drain. Relief, pouring through him, at last.

His wank was over embarrassingly fast... but that understandable, as he had gone days without any sort of relief. Harry sighed, still palming his half-hard dick as he vowed that he wouldn't torture himself in such a way again if he could help it.

Suddenly, the shower curtain was whipped back, startling Harry.

"I  _knew_  it!" Dean spat, so much rage in his eyes, which burned into Harry with so much hate.

Harry scrambled to cover his crotch with his hands. "What  _the hell_  are you  _doing?!_ Get  _out_  of here!" Harry yelled, but unable to put much venom behind his words, as there was a level of vulnerability that he felt due to his nudity.

Ron, Seamus, and Neville suddenly appeared in the bathroom doorway, their appearances still ruffled up by sleep.

Ron's eyes especially widened in shock as he took in the scene before him... Harry as naked as the day he was born, with Dean exposing him while yelling accusations at him.

"I  _knew_ that you liked her!" Dean raged, undeterred by Harry's words or his nudity. "I  _just heard you!_ Fantasizing about making  _Ginny_  your  _slut,_ when you have  _no business doing so!"_

Ron looked about ready to step forward and intervene to teach Dean another lesson, but a rage that was quickly building in Harry became too much. This  _bastard_ has stepped over the line  _one too many times_. He was  _Harry_ ** _fucking_** _Potter_ ,  _dammit_! And he wasn't about to let this  _ass_  talk about the girl he  _loved_  like that.

No longer bothered by his own nudity, Harry uncovered his hands from his bare dick, and reared his fist back and shot it right at Dean's jaw. Neville and Seamus cried out at the unexpectedness of the action, while Dean's whole body shot back, and fell to the floor - his hand already up to cover the enviable bruise on his skin...

Stepping out of the shower, Harry grabbed his towel and wrapped it around his waist. Then, stepping closer so that he was standing over Dean, Harry bent over so that he was face to face with him. And in an eerily calm voice, he said, "You  _so much_  as  _step close_  or say  _one word_  to Ginny again, I will show you the  _real_  reason why  _I_  am a  _threat_  to  _Voldemort_. I  _dare you_  to try..."

Dean's eyes were so wide, and he shuttered as Harry straightened, once again. Harry didn't know whether Dean shuttered because Harry had said Voldemort's name, or if he, himself, had actually put the fear of God in him. All that Harry knew, was that he no longer cared... he wouldn't concern himself with Dean Thomas any longer unless the prat was messing with Ginny. Then, maybe his parents would prove themselves right by the amount of power he would unleash then.

Harry grabbed his clothes, put on his glasses -which were foggy from the steam - and made his way towards the bathroom exit, where Ron, Seamus, and Neville stood, silent and with wide eyes. When Harry walked past them, still too angry to say a word. Only Ron followed him over to his trunk, after shutting the bathroom door to give them some privacy, as Neville and Seamus tended to Dean.

 _"Bloody hell, mate_..." Ron breathed, in awe, as Harry angrily put on his clothes.

"I  _know,"_ Harry seethed, forcefully pushing his head through the hole in his shirt. _"Bloody_   _wanker_  doesn't have  _any_  respect for  _privacy!"_

Harry put his boxers on underneath his towel, then threw the towel away from him in frustration. Vaguely, he could hear someone turn off the shower in the other room.

It wasn't any of Dean's bloody business if Harry wanks to thoughts of Ginny! Hermione was right when she said that it was  _perfectly_  natural! Plus, Ginny wasn't Dean's property! She wasn't even his property when she and Dean were dating! And that was part of the reason why Harry loved her because Ginny Weasley was a free spirit. And Harry wouldn't ever dream of tying her down in any way she didn't want to be and forcing her to be something that she wasn't.

Ron was shaking his head in a sort of perplexed awe. "No, mate. You don't understand... when you were threatening Dean back there, your eyes were  _glowing_."

This melted away all of Harry's anger.

"G- _glowing?!"_

What did Ron mean that his eyes were  _glowing?!_ What did that even mean? It couldn't be a side-effect of a spell, because he wasn't even aware he was doing anything magical at all! He  _fucking_  hit Dean muggle-style,  ** _dammit_ _!_**

"And not only that," Ron continued, hesitant after seeing Harry's initial reaction. Harry tensed as he waited for what else Ron was going to tell him. "You also had a shimmering glow all around you, too. It's really no wonder you scared him shitless..."

Harry didn't blame Dean for that, at least, because just the thought of it scared him, too... especially since he had been so unaware of it. And it was the unawareness of it that reminded him of last year when he had no control over the Nagini's body when she attacked Mr. Weasley.

Harry had to swallow back vile numerous times, as he tried to push back his uncle's voice in his head... calling him a  _freak_.

He really couldn't help it... it was where his mind automatically went whenever something...  _odd_  happened to him. He tried to fight back the idea that he was even a freak among Wizarding standards, as it wasn't normal for wizards or witches to  _glow_  when they were angry.

"C-can we just forget about it, for now?" Harry asked, quietly. "At least until I can ask Dumbledore about it...?"

For a fleeting moment, Ron seemed unwilling to let the matter drop. It was obvious to Harry that Ron really was concerned... before Ron let out a heavy sigh and nodded.

Harry smiled in relief, before pulling up his trousers and clapping his mate on the back. Already pushing the disturbing new development to the very back corners of his mind. Then he turned to his trunk, opening it to look to one specific shimmering bag.

"I'll also ignore what it was you were doing in the shower that got Dean so angry..." Ron shuttered in disgust, trying not to picture Harry beating off to thoughts of Ron's own sister.

Harry whirled around and faced him, and was left stunned that Ron didn't want to beat the living daylights out of him for even thinking of Ginny in that way... instead, Ron looked almost... resigned.

"Y-you're not  _mad?!"_ Harry asked, completely astonished. As Ron walked towards his own trunk for clothes to change out of his pajamas.

Ron rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'm not a caveman, you know? I don't get pissed off at the flick of a wand. I have a little thing called  _common_   _sense_." Ron sighed and relaxed his tensed shoulders. "Besides... it's not as though you can help it..."

Harry nodded, embarrassed but serious all the same, and blurted out, "Hermione says that it's perfectly natural."

He didn't know why he kept referring to Hermione saying that masturbation is natural, but for some bizarre reason, it gave him an odd comfort. Almost as though he had to remind himself that this wasn't 'freakish behavior' like his uncle would probably have him believe... that in this one instance, he was just like any other teenaged boy - horny and desperate for the regular wank.

And if Hermione said that it was natural, then it simply was. Because Hermione was smart and honest about those sort of things.

"Wait  _one_   _bloody moment!"_ Ron bellowed, dropping his trousers and shaking Harry from his thoughts. "You talked to  _Hermione_  about this?!"

A flush of red came to Harry's cheeks, as he realized what he had just revealed out loud - to  _Ron_  of all people - and he shifted his eyes to avoid Ron's. "Er... well, more like she talked  _at_  me, about it. She, uh, sort of walked in on me by accident..."

Ron stared at him with wide eyes for a long moment, before he burst out laughing.

"And she-she gave you the  _sex talk?!"_ Ron managed to get out through his bellowing laughter. And Harry's found that his embarrassment increased tenfold.

"N- _No!"_ Harry said, defensively. Turning his attention back to his trunk, in order to hide the redness in his cheeks.

"It's scary from how much I can picture it!" Ron laughed, as Harry found the bag that he had been looking for. "Hermione informing you of all sorts of contraception charms you could use, as well as some tips that she read in an outdated sex education book!"

Harry pocketed the bag in his trouser pocket and slammed his trunk shut in exasperation.

"I'm telling you, that it wasn't like that!" Harry explained in a stressed tone, as he turned to face Ron again. "I was  _completely mortified_  when she walked in on me doing... well,  _that_. And she took my embarrassment as shame... so, she tried to appease me by telling me that it was natural! That's all! We didn't get into charms or techniques. She was just as embarrassed as I was because she is practically my  _sister!"_

Ron looked at Harry with knitted eyebrows, and Harry thought that he had managed to convince him. That is before Ron raised an eyebrow at him.

 _"Sure,_ mate...  _whatever you say_..." Ron said with a devious grin.

Harry huffed, knowing that it wasn't worth the fight.

"Whatever. Let's just go down to breakfast."

That seemed to sufficiently distract Ron, as he hurriedly put on his trousers, and they both stepped towards the door. At least, Harry had  _thought_  that it had distracted Ron, but as they were walking down the stairs, Ron had a contemplative look on his face. "I wonder since Hermione says that it's such a natural thing to do, if she does it, too...?"

Harry blanched. _"Ugh! Ron!_ That's disgusting! I don't want that image in my head! I just told you that Hermione was practically  _my sister!"_

Ron looked sideways at him and smirked. "Now you know how it feels, don't you, mate?"

Harry was momentarily distracted as they made it to the common room, only to find Ginny nowhere in sight. Which left Harry feeling… disappointed, even though there was logic to her not being there. As with everything that had happened since leaving her dorm this morning, he had taken too long getting ready - and Ginny probably assumed that he had already gone down to the Great Hall to wait for her there.

Harry shook himself of the negativity in his thoughts as he reminded himself that he would be seeing Ginny soon, and he smirked deviously back at Ron. Ron's smile dropped when he saw the look on Harry's face, as they walked through the portrait door. "So, is this you finally admitting that you fancy my sister?" Harry asked.

Ron's jaw dropped, and he went immediately on the defensive. " _What?! No_... I've never  _admitted_  to liking  _Hermione!_ Where have you gone off and gotten a  _ridiculous_  idea like that?!" Ron asked nervously, pulling at his shirt collar.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Come off it, Ron. I  _know_  you like her! Why can't you just tell your best mate the truth?"

Ron's face was scrunched up stubbornly for a long moment before he let out a long sigh and his facial muscles relaxed into uncertainty. "Be-Because, I really don't think that she likes me back. I mean, she's been avoiding me this  _entire_  week... huffing, the way that she does, whenever I come into the same room as her."

Harry started laughing outrageously, and Ron's face hardened. "It's not funny, Harry! I really do think that Hermione is upset with me, right now!"

"Ron... mate, Hermione is only upset with you, because you're with Lavender."

This seemed to confuse Ron even more, and Harry never knew him to be more thick-headed about anything more in his life. "She's  _jealous,_ mate!" Harry exclaimed. "Hermione is jealous of Lavender because she  _fancies you!"_

Ron's jaw dropped at this revelation, it seemed as though he had lost his voice. And he still didn't say a word as a look of realization overcame his face, as he really thought about what Harry said. Before a goofy smile overcame his features.

Harry grinned at his friend at they made it to the doors of the Great Hall. "You best break things off with Lavender, before you ask her out, Mate. Hermione might actually say no if she thinks that you are still involved with her."

Ron nodded mutely, as they entered the room for breakfast. Harry immediately spotted Ginny sitting next to Hermione at the table, and his heart thudded with excitement as she spotted him as well, and waved him over to join them.

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	24. Chapter 24

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Chapter Twenty-Four

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It had been almost three full days since Harry had spent any time with Ginny. But this time, Harry knew that it wasn't because Ginny was actively avoiding him as she did before… oh no, it was much simpler than that.

It all began on Sunday, right after Harry and Ron had joined Hermione and Ginny at the Gryffindor table for breakfast in the Great Hall. Ginny had been cheerful, despite the emotional rollercoaster she had endured the day before. If anything, Hermione had been the one in sour spirits… seeing as Ron had sat down with them, and Hermione was still miffed at him for dating Lavender.

They had all talked about trivial things, starting with Harry asking Hermione how she was, seeing he hadn't seen her for two whole days. Hermione had given a brief answer, before the topic of conversation switched over to Harry's plan for the D.A. – which would be starting its first meeting in two days time.

It was as they were finishing their breakfasts, Harry had turned to face Ginny.

 _"Do you want to spend the day together?"_  Harry had asked her.  _"Maybe fly around the pitch and throw a quaffle around?"_

Ginny's face had fallen into a regretful smile.  _"Sorry, Harry, but I promised Collin that we would work on our Potions essay together, today. With it being my O.W.L. year, Slughorn has really piled on the homework…"_

 _"I could help you!"_  Harry had said in a voice that was entirely too overeager.

Hermione then had snorted into the book she had pulled out to read just moments before.  _"Harry, Potions is your worst subject, and you know it."_

Harry had scowled down at his food, and speared his egg with his fork, a tad annoyed that Hermione just ruined his chance as spending the day with Ginny.  _"That's not my fault! Snape is such a terrible teacher, it's a wonder I managed to learn a thing, at all."_

Ginny and Ron both snickered at that - leaving Harry feeling satisfied that he got Ginny to laugh - while Hermione had looked scandalized that Harry would say such a thing about a Professor. Even if he had said it about Snape.

Then, Collin had walked up to the table, talking animatedly at Harry, before taking Ginny away from beside him to do homework and study.

And Harry hasn't seen much of Ginny since then. Which put him in a right terrible mood. As he couldn't help but feel...  _neglected_  after spending such a wonderful night together.

The only good news was that Dean took Harry's threat seriously and no longer bothered him, or Ginny from what Harry could tell.

That Monday, he started his first official potions lesson with Slughorn, which he was able to join seeing as Slughorn allowed students who didn't get  _'Outstandings'_  in their O.W.L.'s, unlike Snape...

Slughorn had been delighted to see him, when he walked through the door to his class and directed Harry to a cabinet to get a Potion's textbook.

In the cabinet, there was only one textbook left. It was very old and had writing all over the pages. Upon further inspection, Harry saw that the book once belonged to the  _'Half-Blood Prince'_. Whoever that may be.

But the extra text in the book proved to be useful, as it gave him the correct directions in how to brew a very advanced and complex healing potion when others had trouble with it... including Hermione.

On Tuesday, Harry had only just managed to say hello to Ginny, as she was rushing down to the library, and asked if she was still planning on showing up to the D.A. meeting that night. But Ginny must have not heard his inquiry, and she continued along her way without giving Harry an answer.

Harry walked into Potions class with Ron and Hermione, completely downtrodden with the lack of Ginny in his life at the moment. Ron had been complaining the entire way to class about how impossible it was to break things off with Lavender. A fact that made Hermione secretly smile, and start talking to Ron again because of his desire to break things off with Lavender.

When Ron wasn't complaining about Lavender, he would spend his time being extra attentive towards Hermione - A fact that Harry could see, greatly pleased his sister. Ron would ask her questions, ask her for her advice on his essays, and smile affectionately at her whenever he had the chance.

And Harry was happy for them, he really was, but he found himself feeling a little jealous over their budding relationship when Ginny didn't even have any time for her and Harry's friendship at the moment.

So, it was as they walked into Potions class, that they all smelled the most enticing scent coming from the brewing pot at the front of the class. It was a bubbling pink color and Harry couldn't help but find himself wanting to get as close as possible to stick his nose in it. He smelled a combination of smells. Such as treacle tart, the woody scent of broomstick handle, and a flowery scent he had been so deprived of for too many days... it was the scent of Ginny Weasley.

It was as Harry fell into his seat next to Ron and Hermione, that he felt his cock react to the lovely scent invading his nostrils. But he found himself much too entranced with the smell to even be bothered to care about the predicament happening in his pants in the middle of a full classroom.

Slughorn then walked in, which mostly snapped the students out of their trance, and he introduced the potion as Amortentia, which Hermione explained was the world's strongest love potion.

"I am terribly sorry for any, well, shall we say,  _discomfort_  you may feel during class today. Most of you will probably know to what I am referring to, and just know that it a  _perfectly natural_  side-effect to smelling Amortentia for the first time." Slughorn explained, and as a result, many students in class fidgeted in their seats with faces of red. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were among them.

It had been difficult to pay attention for the rest of the class, when dozens of fantasies starring him and Ginny together shot across his mind, while he resisted the urge to reach down and palm his cock for relief in the middle of class.

But it seemed he wasn't the only one relieved when class was finally over, based on the way practically all of the students bolted for the door when Slughorn announced that it was alright for them to pack up their things.

Knowing that he had no time for a quick wank before his next class, Harry thought of many numerous things to get his erection to die down.

Like Dumbledore in a yellow, polk-a-dot dress, which only made Harry want to laugh at the mental image. But when he replaced Dumbledore in that dress with Dudley, his erection died down real fast, after that. And he shuddered each time the image popped into his head multiple times for the rest of the day, against his will.

It was after dinner - which Ginny only stopped by briefly with Colin to grab a handful of dinner rolls, before disappearing to do homework again - did Harry find himself back in the Great Hall hours later.

This was it... his first D.A. lesson that was actually approved by the facility.

He had shown up early with Ron and Hermione to set up by moving the long dining tables over to the sides of the room. And he couldn't hide his nervousness as he wondered for the hundredth time if anyone would bother to show up. Then, that led to thoughts of wondering if Ginny would show up either. As she never confirmed if she was or not.

Harry had muttered sourly about this to his parents and Sirius earlier, and they told him to stop throwing a pity party for himself. That it would be great if she did happen to show up at the D.A. to support him, as well as learn a few things. But if she didn't show, then he would have to be understanding to the fact that Ginny was extremely busy with her schedule, and Harry didn't need to add any more pressure on her than necessary.

Harry could only agree with their assessment, but he still couldn't help how he felt about not seeing Ginny as often as he would like... especially after she had just gotten over avoiding him.

Harry was distracted from his thoughts at the sight of seeing Hermione transfiguring a chair into a podium for him to stand on at the front of the hall.

"Hermione... do you really think a podium is necessary?" Harry asked her, "I doubt I will even need it."

Hermione looked confused as she turned her attention to Harry. "Of course you'll need it! How else will everyone see and hear you?"

"There won't be enough people that will show up for that. They will hear me just fine." Harry argued, lightly.

Ron couldn't help but let out a snort at that. "Are you kidding, mate? You're the first student to ever teach a class! Not to mention that you're  _Harry Potter_."

Hermione nodded her head enthusiastically in agreement. "Yes, and there is also the fact that even if they aren't here to learn anything new, they will come because they will be _burning_ with curiosity."

Ron laughed and nodded as well. "Exactly. Especially since it was the infamous D.A. that fought the battle in the Department of Mysteries. They haven't been able to stop talking about it since the train ride and-"

 _"Ronald!"_ Hermione interrupted, her eyes going wide as her face became tense. "That is still a  _very sensitive subject_  for Harry, you know..."

Ron's face became ashen with remorse as he looked from Hermione over to Harry in regret. "Sorry, mate..."

In truth, talking about the battle at the Department of Mysteries no longer bothered Harry. Seeing as he could now talk to his beloved Godfather whenever he wanted - which was more than he could talk to Sirius when he was even still alive, because of the fact that Sirius had to stay in hiding. And not to mention, Sirius seemed happier in death than he did in life, now that he had reunited with his best friend, and Harry's father, James Potter.

So, Harry merely smiled and waved off Ron's remorse. "Don't worry about it, Ron. I'm not so sensitive about it anymore."

His best friends both gaped at him in shock. "Since  _when?!"_ Hermione exclaimed.

Harry fidgeted under their undivided attention and pulled at the uncomfortableness of his collar. "I can't tell you here... I'll let you know all about it after the meeting. We'll go to the Room of Requirement and we'll talk there."

Confusion donned Ron's face while Hermione's eyes were ablaze with curiosity. "Fine, mate. But you better not hold out on us."

Harry smiled and pretended to be affronted. "Have I ever kept anything from the two of you, before?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but Harry could see a slight smile on her lips that she was fighting. As Ron snickered and they went back to completing the finishing touches on the room.

It was ten minutes later, the first few students started coming in. Which also included an excited Neville and a dreamy-eyed Luna. They both smiled when they saw Harry and came over to greet him.

"Hey, Neville, Luna! Thanks for coming, guys." Harry said, relieved that he had a couple more friends to come support him.

"Oh, we wouldn't dream of missing this, Professor Potter," Luna said, airily.

Harry felt his face burn at the title Luna had given him. "I'm not a Professor, Luna. I'm more of an instructor..."

"They are basically the same thing, aren't they?" Luna asked with a hint of confusion in her tone, as she tilted her head at him in question. "Besides,  _Professor_  Potter sounds way better than  _Instructor_  Potter, don't you think?"

"Why don't you just stick to calling me, Harry?"

"That's a bit too informal, don't you think, Professor?" Neville asked, with a smirk.

Harry gritted his teeth, the git wasn't helping matters.

"Right you are, Neville," Luna said in agreement. Then she looked over at Harry and said, "See? Neville gets it... Perhaps, since you don't understand the concept, Harry, you shouldn't be a Professor, after all..."

Harry's jaw dropped while Neville burst into laughter. He had just been promoted in title then promptly demoted within minutes by Luna Lovegood.

He was about to open his mouth to retaliate when he noticed someone slink into the room out of the corner of his eye...

 ** _Snape_ _?!_** What the  ** _bloody_**   _hell_  was he  ** _doing_**  here?!

Forgetting his friends, Harry marched right over to the greasy git, himself.

 _"What_  are you  _doing_  here?!" Harry asked, in a rather rude tone as he forgot his manners towards a Professor in his quest for answers.

Snape looked down at him from his long, hooked nose, and sneered. _"Twenty points_  from Gryffindor for your sharp tongue,  _Potter_."

Harry clenched his fist and shook with fury. "You can't dock points from me when I'm teaching, Professor!"

The slimy git actually smiled at him. "Then, I suppose that it's a good thing that your little club hasn't even started yet, otherwise I would be forced to agree with that assessment."

Harry narrowed his eyes as he resisted the urge to scream.

"And as to your very  _rude_  question, I was assigned to be the chaperone for this  _silly,_  little meeting."

"It's not silly!" Harry argued. "Last spring the D.A. was able to hold its own in the Department of Mysteries."

"Ah,  _yes_." Snape drawled in fake appraisal. "The day you and your  _little group_  of friends got your Godfather  _killed_. Something to  _really_  be proud of..."

Harry had been sure that he had just about to hit the smug, yellow-toothed smile off of that slimy face, but someone grabbed his arm and pulled him away before he had the chance.

 _"He's not worth it, Harry."_ Hermione hissed quietly next to his ear. _"If you want to keep the D.A. going, you just have to ignore Snape like he's not even here."_

"He said the D.A. was silly! And he docked twenty points from Gryffindor!" Harry argued, passionately.

"Does it really matter, Harry?" Hermione asked, and turned him to face the entire room. "Have you noticed how many students have shown up? Or were you too preoccupied in arguing with Professor Snape about how much influence the D.A. actually has? Because the proof of that is right in front of you."

She was right. Much to Harry's shock, a large portion of the school had arrived and was already seating themselves on the benches to the tables Harry, Ron, and Hermione had pushed to the side. And by the looks of it, that seating wouldn't be enough for the crowd that was still filing in through the doors. He was even surprised to see some Slytherins amongst the ranks, but he recognized some of them to be rather shy and didn't associate themselves with the likes of Malfoy.

"See?" Hermione said with a grin. "You were worried for nothing."

Harry nodded his head, marveling at the number of students who thought that he was worthy of teaching them something.

But then, he started to worry as he saw the large range in age of the students that came in through the door. There was especially a large number of first and second years that decided to come. He couldn't possibly teach them all the same thing at once, as he did last year.

But already, he was working out a plan to fix this in his mind and came to a plausible solution that would please everyone, as well as challenge them.

As the numbers coming in through the doors started to dwindle, Harry decided that he best start off the meeting.

So, walking up to the podium that he had previously been so sure that he wouldn't need, Harry stepped up onto it and used his wand to amplify his voice.

"Er... hello. Thanks to everyone for coming to the first D.A. meeting."

Harry paused as he was interrupted with applause, and with just that simple assurance, Harry felt a smidge of his confidence rise. "For those of you who don't know, my name is Harry Potter-"

 _"You'd have to have your head sat on by a giant if you didn't know that!"_ Someone shouted from the crowd, and everyone laughed at the truth of his statement. As they all agreed that something had to be very wrong with a person's mental health if they didn't know who Harry Potter was.

Nerves started to bite away at the confidence he had just found, and Harry swallowed heavily as he waited for everyone to settle down.

But then, at the doors, his eyes caught onto someone who was trying to sneak in late.

_It was Ginny!_

She was sneaking in with Colin and they both decided to stand at the back wall, seeing as there was no place for them to sit. Her eyes looked tired, but she looked pleased to be there. As they settled themselves into leaning against the wall, Ginny looked up at him and they locked eyes. Ginny immediately smiled up at him and waved, before giving him a thumbs up.

Harry grinned widely back at her, before returning his attention to the room at whole, his confidence wholly renewed.

"Anyways, I would just like to start with what you can expect from  _Dumbledore's Army_  - otherwise known as the D.A. I won't be assigning any homework-"

He was cut off briefly by some scattered applause, but he quickly learned to just talk through the interruptions. "But just know that you have come here for a reason. And that reason is to improve on the magical talent that you all already possess. So, though I may not assign you any homework, it is up to each and every one of you to decide if it is worth enough for you to practice on your own. I am merely an instructor, to help you with your technique as well as to challenge your limits."

Harry paused momentarily to let this sink in, his eyes sought Ginny's once again, and found that she was looking up at him with so much pride. He felt like he was the king of the world, at that moment.

"Now, I'm sure that some of you have noticed that there is a diverse number of ages in this room, tonight. And let me assure you, that I won't be teaching you all the same thing. So, we are going to divide into different levels of learning. First and Second years will be at Level One. Third and Fourth years will be at Level Two. Fifth Years will be at Level Three, and Sixth and Seventh years will be at Level Four - along with the members of the D.A. last year, as they had already learned most of the spells that I plan to teach the other levels. Now, if you feel that you are placed at a level that is too advanced for you for the week or if you still have trouble with the spell that is being taught in the level below yours, feel free to join the level for as long as you need. There is no shame in trying to improve on things that you have trouble with, and any judgment on another person's level will not be tolerated. I will not hesitate to ban you from the D.A. if I see that you have become a problem."

It was dead quiet now in the Great Hall now, as everyone was busy listening to every word Harry had to say.

Harry smiled slightly to lighten the mood. "And lastly, before we begin the lessons for each level this week - at the end of the meeting, I invite anyone who is willing, to go up against me in a wizards duel. There will be time to duel amongst yourselves, but if you feel that you really improved upon something, I really invite you to challenge me."

There were many of the younger students that looked terrified at just the thought of going up against Harry in a duel. But Harry was pleased to see a lot of the older students looked intrigued at the notion.

Harry smiled and decided that it was time to begin the lesson. "Now, the spell we are going to work on for level one tonight is..."

...

Harry walked around the room, watching and correcting the random student that he passed by. Since there were so many students, however, he had Hermione and Ron help him out with helping the younger students.

"That's great, Marcus!" Harry praised the fifth year Hufflepuff who had finally managed to get the spell right. "You see what I mean about how it's all in the way that you hold your wand?"

Marcus nodded eagerly, excited by his achievement. "I can't believe that I did it! Thanks so much, Harry!"

Harry clapped him on the back in a congratulatory manner and moved along to the next student he could find that was struggling.

"Oh,  _Harry!"_ A high-pitched voice called out to him, which made Harry cringe. He didn't want to turn around, but he was the instructor... he couldn't just  _ignore_  her.

So, hesitantly, Harry turned to find Romilda Vane waving fanatically at him to come closer. Harry almost groaned in exasperation but decided to suck it up and see what she needed.

As soon as he got close enough, Romilda pouted in what Harry assumed was meant to be in an adorable way...

"I can't seem to grip my wand right for the incantation you showed us...!" Romilda whined. "Can you please show me?"

She held out her hand, in a way that said that she expected him to physically move her fingers around her wand until it was in the correct formation.

Harry had just been about to suck it up and show her so that he could leave sooner. When he saw Hermione come closer after she had just finished instructing a second year on her spell.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled to get her attention. Hermione whipped around, and seeing that it was Harry who had called her, started towards them.

Harry turned to Romilda and tried to look apologetic. "I'm sorry, but I promised someone else that I would help them next..."

Hermione came up next to him then, and Harry put his hand on her shoulder and said, "But Hermione can help you. She is an excellent witch and is great at helping."

Hermione looked sideways at him, speculatively, before turning her attention forward to Romilda. "Of course! I would be happy to help."

Harry looked gratefully at Hermione, and she rolled her eyes in acceptance of the situation. Harry took that as his cue to get out of there as fast as he could. Because judging by the scowl on Romilda's face, she had been about to argue against Harry not being the one to  _'help'_  her.

Harry moved around to other students until he came upon Ginny and Colin trying to perfect the Level Four spell. Harry could tell from the slight furrow in Ginny's brow that she was a tad frustrated with herself for not getting the spell down already.

Harry approached them with an easy smile. "I didn't think that you would make it tonight, Gin. Thanks for coming."

Dropping her arm that held her wand, Ginny turned and noticed Harry standing next to her, and she smiled brightly back. "Are you kidding?! Colin and I have been trying to get ahead on our homework just so we could make it tonight!"

This left Harry stunned for a moment before the warmth of affection started to blossom in his chest. Oh, how he loved this girl... she really went out of her way to support him tonight. Even if it was under the label of friendship, she worked hard the past three days, and just for him, too.

"Wow, Gin..." Harry breathed, showing his gratitude and affection through his eyes. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

Ginny's smile softened and she stepped closer to wrap her arms around him, Harry's own arms easily following suit around her. "Well, you better get used to the fact that people care about you,  _Professor_  Potter."

The title sounded so good coming from her lips, that Harry no longer wanted to reject it. Ginny pulled away and smiled up at him. "You spoke so nicely up there, earlier."

Harry couldn't help but blush, still feeling the warmth of her closeness. "I-I sort of botched it at the beginning there."

Ginny shook her head. "Trust me, when I say, that everyone was enraptured with what you had to say. You're a natural born leader, Harry..."

It was Ginny's turn to blush as she gave him the high praise. But Harry felt his heart grow two sizes larger from the compliment. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her at that moment…

But he knew that he couldn't. So, his eyes started to look around for any distraction he could use to change the subject. And his eyes landed on the wand in her hand.

"Did you need help with the spell?" Harry asked.

That adorable scowl overcame her face once more. "I don't know what it is, but I just can't manage to get it."

Trying not to smile at the fieriness of her current mood, Harry stepped back a little bit and said, "Let me see you try to do it."

Ginny raised an eyebrow and pointed her wand at Colin - who Harry noticed had been watching them with a speculative look on his face.

Turning his attention back to Ginny just in time to see her attempt the spell, Harry immediately knew what the problem was... and the randy teenaged part of him was rather excited to correct it for her.

Ginny looked frustrated again when nothing happened, and she looked at Harry for answers.

"It's the wand movement that is causing it," Harry announced, as he stepped closer to Ginny. Once he was right behind her, Harry reached out to cover her hand - that was gripping tight to her wand - with his own hand.

Immediately sparks and heat shot up his arm where he touched her, and Harry tried his best to ignore it.

Gripping her hand, Harry maneuvered her wand in the correct formation for the spell - which was more rounded than what Ginny had been doing.

Stepping closer behind her, Harry whispered in her ear, "Say the incantation when you're ready."

And Harry maneuvered her hand once again, but this time, Ginny said the incantation.

A burst of light shot out of her wand, hitting Colin square in the chest. Covering every part of him, excluding his head, in a thick substance that was as clear as plastic, but as flexible and containing as glue. Colin started to try and move his limps but found that he was trapped with the wall of the substance.

"We did it!" Ginny exclaimed, happily. Turning around and giving Harry a tight embrace in their victory. But it was a brief hug, but as soon as she pulled away, Harry beamed down at her.

"You did most of it, Gin!" Harry said, showing his support.

"That's great and all..." Colin said, still stuck in his plastic prison. Harry and Ginny looked over at him, having momentarily forgotten about him. "But can you do the reversal spell, Harry? I have an itch on my nose that I was just about to scratch before you did the spell..."

"Sorry, Colin. There is no reversal spell for this one." Harry tried not to outright laugh at the look of alarm that overcame Colin's face. He was the instructor, after all, he couldn't laugh at the misfortune of one of his students. But that being said, he internally snickered and thought of this as some friendly retaliation for all the ambushing pictures Colin had made him endure for a few years. But Harry figured that he made Colin suffer enough, so he continued talking. "That's why it's so effective in defense, as any other Death Eaters can't just unspell what you did to their companions with it. But it will wear off in about 26 minutes."

Colin gave a huge sigh of relief, while Ginny outright laughed. And turning to Harry, she said, "You're evil, you know that?"

Then Ginny left his close proximity and went to go scratch at Colin's nose for him.

" _Ughhh_ , Ginny! I could marry you right now!" Colin exclaimed in relief at the itch being seen to.

 _'Not if I get to her first..._ ' Harry thought, subconsciously. And the thought startled him.

 _'Marriage? Was he really thinking about marriage? He was only sixteen, for Merlin's sake! Ginny was fifteen! How could he possibly think about marriage with Ginny when they weren't even a couple_?'

But the more that he thought about it, the less the idea scared him. He could actually picture it in his mind's eye... Ginny would make a beautiful bride. Though, Ginny makes a beautiful - well -  _anything_ , really.

And it made sense, seeing as the one thing that he had always wanted more than anything was to have a family of his own...

A loud commotion from the other side of the room broke him from his thoughts, and Harry's head snapped up to see a poor, first-year Ravenclaw girl crying under the looming shadow of Snape.

Quickly, Harry made his way over to see what the issue was. And as soon as he had come close enough, it was to have the girl beg for his forgiveness.

"I'm  _sorry_ , Professor Harry!" The girl cried, stepping forward to clutch at his robes in desperation. "I didn't  _mean_  to do it!  _Honest_!  _Please_  don't have Professor Dumbledore  _expel_   _me_!"

"He can't save you from expulsion," Snape said snidely to the little girl. "He's not even a Professor. Now, you are coming with me to Professor Dumbledore's office."

Snape stepped forward, as though he were about to forcefully grab the girl and drag her into submission if he had to. But Harry pushed the girl behind him and stared defiantly at the despicable man.

"What is it exactly that she has done, Professor, to warrant such an extreme consequence as threatening  _expulsion_?" Harry asked firmly, already knowing that it probably wasn't much of a big deal, at all.

Snape sneered at Harry. "Not that I have to explain my decision to you, Potter, but the little welp deliberately cursed me and had to gall to lie about it."

 _"No, I told the truth!"_ The girl exclaimed, peaking around from behind Harry with tears streaming down her cheeks. She was clutching so tight to the back of Harry's robes, he knew that they would surely wrinkle. "It was an  _accident_! An  _accident_!"

 _"Lair!"_ Snape hissed at the girl, who she jumped and hid her face behind Harry once again.

Harry looked Snape up and down, his eyes searching for any visible damage. "You seem fine to me. Not a scratch on you, anywhere..."

It was then that Ron came up beside him and muttered into his ear, " _Mate, Snape has also been docking points and giving detentions left and right. At this rate, no one will want to come to D.A. meetings_."

This news infuriated Harry. Snape was going to single-handedly destroy his chances of getting all these students ready for the war!

Harry was about to gear up and tell Snape off - even though he might end up with many detentions for it - when suddenly, an angry lilting voice spoke up from behind him. "Are you saying that you  _can't handle_  a curse from a  _first-year_?"

Everyone gasped at the bold question and turned their eyes, including Harry, to the brave soul who dared to mock Professor Snape.

It was Ginny.  _Of course_ , it was  _her_... she couldn't stay out of this even if she wanted to. She stared evenly at Snape, her eyes defiant and daring.

Snape's beady, black eyes narrowed, and the ugliest sneer overcame his face as he looked at Ginny with such disdain.

"Detention,  _Weasley_." Snape spat through the quiet that had ensued in the room after Ginny's comment. "For your sharp tongue."

Rage boiled over in Harry at the nerve of this man. Who was he to come in here and punish everyone in what was meant to be Harry's domain?! How  _dare_  he speak to Ginny as though she were nothing! How  _dare_  he try and ruin what Harry, Ron, and Hermione had worked so hard to build.

" _Professor Snape_!" Harry bellowed, his voice forceful and stern. "I  _believe_  that we should both see the Headmaster about this."

Snape looked as though the last thing he wanted to do was to accompany Harry to Dumbledore's office, but he seemed to assent as he turned on his heel and marched for the door, his black robes billowing behind him. Harry knew that Snape was using this time to get to a Dumbledore first, but he had some loose ends to finish up here.

"I'm sorry for that rude and terrible disruption." Harry began in a loud voice to the entire room. "Let me assure you that I will do everything in my power to fix this so it will no longer happen in any future meetings. For those of you who got detentions or house points docked from Snap- I mean,  _Professor_  Snape, I will speak with Dumbledore about getting them revoked. There will be no duel tonight, but I ask you to practice what you learned here tonight in your dorms during your free time."

Harry gave an apologetic smile to the group at large. "See you next Tuesday."

With that, Harry tried to match forward to catch up to Snape and start doing damage control with Dumbledore, when the tugging on the back of his robes stopped him.

Harry turned to see that it was still the terrified first-year that was still clutching the fabric.

Harry sighed and knelt down next to the girl who still had tears in her eyes and down her cheeks. The poor girl was shaking from how terrified she was of actually being expelled. He gave her a kind smile and rested his hand on her arm in a way of comfort.

"I promise that you won't be expelled. Snape is just a bully, is all." Harry said in what he hoped to be a reassuring tone.

The girl nodded shakily, and Hermione stepped forward then and knelt down beside them, Ginny following suit.

Hermione looked at Harry and said, "Go, Harry. We'll take care of her. You need to go and fix this." Ginny nodded her agreement with Hermione and indicated with her eyes to Harry that he should go.

Harry hesitated for a moment before he nodded and turned on his heel.

"Hermione and I will meet you afterward, mate!" Ron yelled after him as Harry ran.

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Please leave a Review if you love this story! :)

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	25. Chapter 25

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_._

_._

_Hermione looked at Harry and said, "Go, Harry. We'll take care of her. You need to go and fix this." Ginny nodded her agreement with Hermione and indicated with her eyes to Harry that he should go._

_Harry hesitated for a moment before he nodded and turned on his heel._

_"Hermione and I will meet you afterward, mate!" Ron yelled after him as Harry ran..._

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Chapter Twenty-Five

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Harry bolted out the Great Hall doors and tried to make his way to Dumbledore's office as fast as he could. By the time he made it to the giant gargoyles that guarded the winding staircase, Harry found himself panting.

Harry bent over with his hands on his knees for a mere moment, to catch his breath. Before straightening and then cursing because he didn't know the password.

"Lemon Drop." Harry tried.

Nothing happened.

"Bertie Bots Every Flavor Bean."

Still nothing.

Harry went down a long list of different kinds of both Muggle and Wizarding sweets that Dumbledore could use for his password, until finally, he said, in an exasperated tone, " _Peppermint Pig Snouts!"_

The statue moved out of the way, and Harry let out a yelp in victory before running up the stairs.

As always, before he had the chance to frantically knock on the door, Dumbledore called out in a calm voice, "Enter."

Harry pried open the door to see a very serious, albeit calm, Dumbledore, with Snape looming over him with his perpetual scowl in place.

"Hello, Harry," Dumbledore greeted, his eyes twinkling and his mood brightening at the sight of him. Harry felt the pressure of anxiety within himself relax. If Dumbledore was happy to see him, then perhaps he already saw Harry's side of things.

"Hi, Professor." Harry panted, still out of breath from his sprinting run up the castle steps.

Dumbledore smiled, and nodded his head at the chair in front of his desk, indicating that Harry should sit. Harry obediently obliged, quite glad at getting to rest after his fast trek.

"I hear that there was some sort of problem with your first D.A. meeting, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, calmly.

Harry peered over at Snape, his scowl getting more and more refined with each passing moment of Dumbledore's kindness towards Harry.

"Yes, Professor Snape has upset a lot of my students this evening," Harry said evenly, trying to come across as calm and rational as Dumbledore. "Specifically, one first-year Ravenclaw girl who he threatened to expel-"

"She deliberately attacked me, a  _Professor_ , with a curse." Snape interrupted.

Harry frowned, starting to lose his composure. "That seems to be a lie, Professor. She seemed too upset to lie about something like that. And besides that point, she has only been allowed to do magic for a little over a week now. Don't you think that she deserves a little slack if she happens to make a mistake?"

"I agree with Mr. Potter, Severus," Dumbledore said, his eyes shifting to the corner to look at the Defense teacher. "It was most assuredly an accident, and it seems that no real harm has been done."

Harry had to fight a self-satisfied smirk at the sight of Snape's jaw tightening in frustration. "There is also the matter of all the detentions and docked points of many of my students. The D.A. is meant to be a safe place, for students to come and learn defense spells in a relaxed atmosphere amongst peers. Now, I'm afraid that people won't want to come if the threat of detention looms over their heads if they attend."

Dumbledore thought this over with his good hand pulling and twirling at his beard. "Hmm... we can't have students feeling discouraged from wanting to learn more, now can we?"

Harry let out a breath, and let himself relax even more. "Exactly. And as leader and one of the founders of the D.A., can I request that Professor Snape not be allowed to chaperone? Many of the children are actually terrified of him."

"You  _ungrateful_ , little-"

"Enough, Severus." Dumbledore held up his hand to silence him as he interrupted the insult that Snape was about to hurl at Harry. "Though I may not know the true extent of what transpired this evening, as I wasn't there to bear witness - I still feel that Harry is right. That he is the leader of the D.A. and as such, he should be the one to make the primary decisions."

Harry couldn't hold back his victorious smile as Snape seemed to be seething with rage - though the slimy git didn't say a word to contradict the Headmaster. Harry couldn't help but wish that Dumbledore would ban Snape from teaching, as well.

"That being said, Harry, I still require that you have a staff member to chaperone your meetings."

Harry nodded his consent. "Of course, Professor. I would actually prefer it that way."

It was the truth. He needed the help to keep so many students in line.

But this seemed to cause Snape to reach his limit, as he abruptly strode out of the room with intent and focused anger.

As soon as Snape left, Harry turned back to Dumbledore with a neutral expression on his face. "Sir..." Harry began, "About all of the detentions and points taken-"

"Consider them nullified." Dumbledore appeased, sitting back and folding his hands across his stomach. "I should hope that students will be forgiving of their first D.A. meeting if their punishments are revoked."

Harry couldn't help giving his mentor a beaming smile at the news, and not only because that meant that Ginny no longer had to serve her detention, either. Which also meant more time for Ginny to spend with Harry. But, also because he had been able to keep his word with all of his students after he assured them all that he would fix everything.

"Thank-you, Professor."

...

It was a little while later when Harry was walking down the spiral staircase from Dumbledore's office. He was entirely satisfied with how the meeting went. No more Snape at his meetings... he would say that he got sort of lucky by managing to pull that one off.

The statue slid out of the way for him to leave, only to reveal Ron sitting with his back to the opposite wall - looking entirely unconcerned - and Hermione, who was pacing with a very stressed look on her face.

Both of their attention's snapped up to him, as the sound of the statue moving alerted them.

"So?" Hermione asked immediately before Harry could even step out. "How did it go?"

Harry could hear the anxiety in her voice, so when he smiled at them, he immediately alleviated her concerns.

"Snape is banned from meetings," Harry informed them, with a large grin.

Ron let out a whoop in victory and stood to come over to give Harry a clap on the back. "See, Hermione? I told you that there was nothing to worry about!"

"There certainly was something to worry about!" Hermione argued back passionately.

Ron's face scrunched up as he readied himself for an argument. "Oh, yeah? What exactly are you talking about? Harry is Dumbledore's favorite, and all Harry had to do was show up and ask Dumbledore, and Dumbledore would do it for him."

Hermione's face scrunched up like a prune, her lips pursed in disagreement. "Dumbledore also has a history of looking the other way where Professor Snape is concerned and-"

_"Guys!"_ Harry shouted, interrupting the argument before it got to the point of no return. "Honestly, just snog it out, or be done with it! Because if you keep arguing, I won't be able to tell you the rest, as well as what I needed to show you in the Room of Requirement!"

Both Ron and Hermione gaped open-mouthed at Harry for his boldness. Their cheeks turning a bright red, and it seemed as though neither could meet the other's eye. But Harry also noticed how quiet both were, and a ' _kneasel that caught the fairy_ ' grin came to his lips. Neither wanted to confirm wanting what Harry suggested, in fear of the other not wanting it - nor did they want to deny it, in case it would dash the hopes of the other.

But Harry found himself distracted as he looked all around them, and turning his head, looking down both corridors, he still wasn't able to find who he was looking for.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked. He thought that Ron had said that they would all meet him after he was done with Dumbledore... so why wasn't Ginny here?

He had been looking forward to showing her this the most...

This snapped Hermione out of her silent dilemma, and she seemed quite glad for the distraction. "She had some more studying to do, Harry. But we invited her to come, I swear."

Harry sighed in disappointment, wondering if he would be able to go talk to Slughorn about not putting so much homework on the fifth years at once... but he knew that he couldn't hinder Ginny's academic career just to fulfill his desire to spend more time with her.

"I guess I will just have to show her some other time, then..." Harry sighed, not even bothering to hide his disappointment, seeing as his best friends already knew about his feelings for Ginny.

Hermione came up to Harry and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Ginny will just be glad that you want to include her, Harry. Before you really got to know her, last year, she always felt so left out and lonely..."

"S-she did?!" Harry stuttered, surprised by this. And one look at Ron told Harry that he was surprised by the revelation, as well.

"Well, yeah..." Hermione continued, now a tad uncomfortable with the change in topic. "After what happened with the chamber, Ginny didn't have any friends. Many students blamed her for petrifying people, even though it wasn't her fault."

_"Bloody right_ it wasn't her fault!" Ron bellowed, quite upset. "If anything, it's my fault, if not that  _stupid dairy's._.. I'm her brother and I was supposed to take care of her! I should have realized something was wrong with her, but I was too busy, and I saw her as a bit of an unwanted nuisance. One that had a silly crush on my best mate..."

In the end, Ron's argument became less passionate as he became more and more glum. Harry knew the feeling well. He felt the guilt, too.

"You're not the only one, Ron. Not only did I not encourage you to spend time with Ginny, but I also ignored her after the chamber incident... as though it never happened! What sort of cad does such a thing?"

"A young boy who didn't know to recognize another's feelings because he spent the majority of his life with people who never cared for his own feelings," Hermione interjected, firmly, a stern look on her features that demanded no arguments. "Now enough of this. The real person to blame is  _Voldemort_."

With that, Hermione strode towards the stairwell, and after a moment, Harry and Ron scrambled to follow her.

They caught up to her at the moving stairwell, and Hermione asked Harry how the rest of his meeting with Dumbledore went.

"I asked him to revoke all of the detentions and docked points that Snape gave out, and he agreed that students wouldn't want to come to any D.A. meetings if they felt the threat of punishment over their heads, just for attending. So, he revoked all of them."

They both congratulated him on a job well done on his meeting with the Headmaster and chatted on how the D.A. had been doing before it had been ruined at the end.

"Romilda had managed the spell right away, as soon as you had walked away, Harry," Hermione informed him, annoyed and a tad put out with the fourth-year Ravenclaw girl.

Harry rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands in his front robe pockets, while Ron laughed outright. "At least she didn't try and force a love potion on you again, mate!"

_"A love potion?!"_ Hermione gasped, her mouth agape with shock.

Harry scratched the back of his neck in discomfort. While he had been under the Felix Felicis potion, it hadn't bothered him one bit that Romilda had tried to poison him with a love potion. But looking back, it really  _unnerved_  him. What if he hadn't been on Felix Felicis that day, and Romilda had managed to spray him with that _'cologne'_ instead of herself? Would Harry still be under the effects of the potion now?

_"Harry,"_ Hermione stressed after Ron gave her a brief update on what had happened. "You  _must_  tell a Professor of what she tried to do! Administering a love potion against a person's will is  _illegal!_ What if she tries to poison you, again?!"

Harry's eyes widened at the concept and he felt his throat tighten in panic. He couldn't imagine being in love with someone other than Ginny! It was almost blasphemous to even  _think_  about it!

"Well, if Harry suddenly has feelings for Romilda Vane, then we will know that she managed to get a love potion to him, and we will bring him to Slughorn." Ron reasoned. "But other than that, there is no way to prove that she has tried to get Harry to fall in love with her through illegal means."

Hermione frowned, not liking it one bit, but knew that Ron's logic was right. "Fine. But the moment we notice any odd behavior in you, Harry, we are taking you to Slughorn."

Harry nodded his understanding, feeling grateful that he had friends to look out for him. When they finally made it to the seventh floor, in front of the wall to the Room of Requirement, Harry was the one that started to pace three times. Thinking hard on a cozy room with six, comfy, reclining chairs.

The door materialized in front of them on the previously blank wall, a sight that was still amazing for Harry to see.

Harry was the first to open the door and went through, Ron and Hermione coming in right after him. Harry immediately went to one of the reclining chairs while Ron and Hermione lingered by the open door, both wearing a look of confusion.

"Harry...?" Hermione asked. "Why did you think of having  _six_  chairs?"

Harry shrugged nonchalantly, all the while, trying not to grin. "Because we will be needing them. Now, shut the door before someone comes by and sees."

Still mightily confused, Ron did as Harry asked by shutting the door, and then grabbing Hermione's wrist and guiding her over to the chairs on either side of Harry.

When they sat, Harry decided to begin in the same way that Dumbledore did with him.

"Do both of you know the _'Tales of Beetle the Bard'?"_ Harry asked.

Both of their eyes lightened in recognition.

"Yes, they are sort of like wizarding fairytales, aren't they? I picked up a book of it in the library to read for fun!" Hermione rambled. "Very fascinating stories, but rather dark. I can't imagine any parent reading it to their young children..."

_"Oy!"_ Ron shouted, offended. "My mum and dad read that to us when we were young! It's not  _that_  dark!"

Hermione scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Well, it's no Cinderella story, is it?"

Ron's eyes puckered in confusion. "Who?"

"Do you both remember the story of The Three Brothers and the Deathly Hallows?" Harry asked, interrupting another inevitable argument between the two... about  _fairytales_ , no less.

They both snapped their attention's to Harry and nodded, wondering where it was that he was going with all of this.

Harry could no longer hold back his grin as he said out loud, "Well, the story is true."

They both stared at him, their faces giving away no expression. Until finally...

"He's gone barmy..." Ron muttered over to Hermione out of the corner of his mouth.

Harry couldn't help but feel affronted by this. "I have not!" Harry argued. "And what even more, is that the Deathly Hallows are real as well! And I've got  _two_  of them!" 

Hermione started to look worried, as she stared at Harry. "Harry... you aren't acting like yourself... Do we need to take you to Professor Slughorn, after all? Or perhaps Professor Dumbledore?"

Harry groaned, and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I'm not crazy, and I'm not under some potion or spell!" 

Harry dug into his robes pocket and found the chain - which he connected the Resurrection Stone to - and whipped it out. "And I can prove it to you."

He held out the stone in front of him and rested it on top of his open palm. Immediately, to his eyes, his parents and Sirius were starting to appear in front of them.

"Touch the stone, and you'll see." Harry urged his friends. 

They both hesitated for a mere moment, before reaching out and touching the stone, just as his family fully appeared out of the mist.

"Ah, good!" His mum raged, immediately, not even saying hello. She looked very angry, and Harry knew that if she were alive, then she would have an angry flush to her cheeks. His dad and Sirius both looked wary of her, which Harry figured was smart on their end. They were both sitting in their own reclining chairs, while his mum was standing, wearing a hole in the carpet with her furious pacing. "Harry, darling, I need you to give the stone to Severus."

Harry's jaw dropped at that. Give the stone to Snape?! Why the bloody hell would he do that?!

"Don't you mean Snivelus?" Sirius had been unable to stop from interjecting.

Lily Potter's rage-filled eyes turned on Sirius, and he quickly snapped his mouth shut and turned his head down.

His father scoffed. "Oh, come on, Lils! I don't see how you could still object to the nickname! Only the sniveling sort of man can pick on innocent, little first-years!"

Harry's eyes widened. Oh… his father was  _brave_. So brave as to stand up to his mum when she was so worked up like this. But his mum didn't seem to be angry at his dad… oh no, what he said seemed to rile her up more as she proceeded to go on a rampage on how anyone could act so heartless to that 'poor, little girl'!

Turning his attention to his friends, Harry tried not to laugh at the absolute gobsmacked expressions on both Ron and Hermione's faces. They were quite priceless, indeed. It almost seemed as though they haven't even been blinking, which Harry wondered how long they could last with that before their eyes watered.

"Ron, Hermione... Meet my parents." Harry said, and finally both their eyes shifted over to him in shock, as if silently asking him if this was well and truly real.

"...and to ruin Harry's big night with the D.A.! The nerve of that-"

_"Lily!"_ Sirius interjected, snapping both of his parent's attention to himself. "I think that your son is trying to introduce you to his best mates..."

This snapped both of Lily and James' attention to Sirius, who was smirking slightly at he pointed over to Harry's completely gobsmacked friends.

"Oh!" Lily gasped as if she finally just realized that they were there. "Hello."

Ron absentmindedly raised a hand in hello, while Hermione was quickly snapping out of her shock, and Harry recognized the burning thirst for new knowledge in the witch's eyes.

"Oh, I have  _so many questions!"_ Hermione blurted out, seemingly no longer able to contain herself. "Is it you that is really here, or is it just a manifestation of yourselves? Like in a portrait, so to speak. How does it feel to be seen by the living? Do you retain any of your senses besides sight and hearing? Like your sense of smell?"

"Like if Sirius managed to pass gas, would I be able to smell it?" James asked, bemused by all of the questions. "No. And thank Merlin for that!"

"It couldn't smell any worse than the many years I endured of your nasty morning breath, Prongs!" Sirius jibed easily in return.

Lily made a face. "I have to agree with you on that one..."

_"Lils!"_ James pouted, looking wounded. "You're supposed to be on  _my side!_ "

This broke Ron from his trance and he started bursting out with laughter, Harry quickly joined in. When they had calmed down enough, Ron clapped Harry on the back with the hand that wasn't grasping the stone. "Your parents are brilliant, mate!"

James grinned brilliantly at Lily. "We've got a fan!"

Then he launched himself up out of his chair, thrusting forward his offered hand to Ron.

"James. James Potter," He said as he eagerly shook Ron's hand. "Glad to finally meet my son's best mate! Some of my favorite 'Ron' moments that we watched were, of course, all of the adventures you would go with Harry on; especially your  _bloody brilliant_ display of driving that flying car to school!  _Madness!_ Then there was the time you followed Harry into the Forbidden Forest to face Aragog - even though you are terrified of spiders! That's a true Gryffindor, that is! And the way you punched Dean in the nose!  _Classic_!"

James continued to eagerly shake Ron's hand, while Ron beamed at all of the praise he was getting. "T-thanks, Mr. Potter."

James finally stopped shaking Ron's hand and waved off the formal title. "Ah, call me James. Oh! I forgot to mention how completely hilarious it was to watch you and Harry completely blunder getting dates for the Yule Ball!"

His dad started laughing as a redness started to flush over Ron's cheeks.

_"Dad!"_ Harry exclaimed, embarrassed, while Sirius joined in on laughing at their expense.

"James, stop teasing them," Lily broke in, ever the mediator, but she also was trying to fight an amused smile at the same time - which told Harry that she was enjoying his dad's tirade. Then his mum came up right beside his dad and held out her hand to Ron. "Pleased to meet you, Ron. I'm Lily Potter. I would have to say that my favorite _'Ron'_ moment was when you took Harry into your own family... I don't think that you realize the specialness of that gift, and how much it actually meant to Harry over the years."

Ron flushed but smiled at his mum's praise, and shook her hand more firmly. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Potter. Could I call you Lily?"

Lily smiled and nodded, "Of course."

Then his mum turned her attention to Hermione, who was watching the display with so much emotion in her eyes. "And we mustn't forget Hermione!"

James grinned widely as he steered away from Ron to eagerly meet Hermione, dragging his wife with him, with his arm around her waist as his guide. "Hello, Hermione. I must say, that it's nice to meet the brains behind the operation."

Hermione flushed but beamed at the compliment. "It's nice to meet you as well! Oh, I just can't believe that Harry has been able to reunite with you, his  _parents!"_ Tears of happiness started to flood her eyes. "It's so beautiful. I'm so happy for you. For all of you!"

His mum seemed to melt at the sixth-year witch, and the obvious sisterly affection that she had for Harry. Lily came forward and hugged the girl that played an important part in Harry's life.

"I could think of some of my favorite _'Hermione'_ moments, as well." Lily offered, but Hermione was shaking her head as his mum pulled away. Just the thought of a _'Hermione recap',_ seemed to embarrass Hermione enough.

"If it would be alright, could you answer some of my questions?"

James grabbed his wife and backed them up until James sat down on a chair, with Lily on his lap. Harry couldn't help but grin at the fact that even in death, they were so in little be that they could keep their hands off of each other.

"Fire away!" James exclaimed, excited at the attention.

Hermione looked right excited as well, and Harry had to admit that he was curious about a few things as well.

"Before you start, Hermione," Harry intervened, then looked at his mum with questions in his eyes. "Why did you want me to give the Resurrection Stone to  _Snape?"_

Lily frowned, finding her anger from before, once again. "Because I wanted to tell the git off, myself. And make sure he doesn't pick on any of his students  _ever again_."

Harry frowned - his skin between in brows puckering in confusion. "And what makes you think that Snape will listen to you?"

This caused Lily to lose her anger, as uncertainty and a level of sheepishness took its place. _"Well_ , er... you see-"

Seeing his wife's discomfort on the matter, James decided to intervene. "Your mum and Snape were best friends at Hogwarts, Son."

Harry's jaw  _dropped_.

Lily nudged at James' side, and his dad hastily continued. "Or rather, they used to be best friends."

"And what's more," Sirius boasted loudly, "Snivelus has been in love with Lily flower here, this whole time!"

If Harry wasn't shocked before, he surely was now.  _Snape_  in love? With his  _mum?!_ He thought he was going to be sick...

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	26. Chapter 26

_"Your mum and Snape were best friends at Hogwarts, Son."_

_Harry's jaw dropped._

_Lily nudged at James' side, and his dad hastily continued. "Or rather, they used to be best friends."_

_"And what's more," Sirius boasted loudly, "Is that Snivelus has been in love with Lily flower here, this whole time!"_

_If Harry wasn't shocked before, he surely was now. Snape in love? With his mum?! He thought he was going to be sick..._

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Chapter Twenty-Six

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_"For the last time, **no**!_ I  _won't_  give  _Snape_  the Resurrection Stone!" Harry argued, an angry flush to his face that he must have inherited from his mum.

His mum... who Harry was having his very first argument with. And it was over  _Snape_ , of all people!

He felt like what his dad must have felt in the vision Harry saw of their Fifth year. When they were sitting by the lake, and his mum had defended Snape when his dad and Sirius were picking on him. And what did Snape do in return to her kindness? He called her a  _mudblood!_

And now, his mum wanted Harry to give the Resurrection Stone - the only means Harry had to be able to see his parents - to the very same man, who had called her the dirtiest insult known to Wizarding kind. There was  _no way_  in  _hell_  he was going to let Snape anywhere near it!

Because Harry knew that as soon as Snape got his slimy hands on it, Harry would never see the stone, his parents, or Sirius  _ever again!_ Because there was no way that Snape would ever return such a priceless stone to Harry. Especially if what Sirius said was true, that Snape was in love with his mum.

Harry shuttered as an unwanted image came to mind of Snape using the stone to fulfil perverted desires with his mum that couldn't come to fruition before.

But his mum had just as much stubbornness in her than he had in him because she wasn't backing down in the least. As he could see, since they had been arguing for a lengthy amount of time.

A part of Harry noticed that the others in the room were distinctly uncomfortable at having to be subjected to listen to their arguing. Especially his dad, who looked torn between staying loyal to his wife, or his son… the first time he ever had to choose sides between them.

Ron and Hermione looked frazzled, as it wasn't a common sight for them to see Harry lose his temper enough to argue with someone as much as they did. And a part of Harry was satisfied that they were finally seeing how it felt having to listen to other people argue right in front of them.

_"Harry,"_ His mother stressed, exasperated with a tinge of her own anger in her voice. "If you would only  _just listen_  to reason-!"

_"No."_ Harry interrupted her. "If Dumbledore trusted Snape with the Resurrection Stone, then he would have given it to  _him_. Not  _me_."

In truth, Harry didn't know why all of this really upset him. He knew, to the outside perspective, he looked rather irrational… blowing this entire matter completely out of proportion. But on the inside… his heart clenched painfully, and he felt the prick of unformed tears at the back of his eyes every time his mum mentioned Snape getting his hands on that stone.

Harry shook away the emotion before it had time to overtake him, resolving to hold onto anger instead. _"Look,_ I'm not giving away the stone. So, will you  _please_  just  _stop talking about it!"_ Harry snapped.

His mum gasped at the bite in his tone, before her eyes flashed with pure anger. _"Harry James Potter!_ You will  _not_  use that tone of voice with me!"

Shaking with fury now, Harry intentionally rolled his eyes at her and sarcastically said, "Or what? You'll  _ground me?"_

_"I very well just might!"_ His mum yelled, standing, even though they both knew that there was no way for her to enforce it.

But Harry found himself tired of her anger, of her yelling at him, and he felt the previous emotion threatening to take over again. So, Harry stood abruptly, thrust the stone into Hermione's surprised open hand, and didn't even bother to watch his parents and Sirius disappear from his eyes. Instead, he turned and strode towards the door to exit the Room of Requirement.

"Mate, wait-"

Harry's mind immediately asked the room in his mind to keep his friends contained until they could no longer follow him.

Yelps of surprise came from behind him from both Ron and Hermione, but Harry didn't turn to look and see what the room did to them. Instead, he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him. Furiously stomping down the hall, making his way towards Gryffindor tower.

But the longer he strode on, the harder it was for him to hold onto his anger. And it was as he heard the voices of students up ahead in the next corridor where Harry finally broke. Slipping into a dark, hidden alcove in a crook of the castle wall, Harry pressed his back to the stone wall and slid down to the ground. He hugged his knees to his chest and buried his face in between. And it was there where Harry Potter broke down... and started to cry...

...

Ginny had been disappointed that she couldn't go to the Room of Requirement with Ron, Hermione, and Harry. She wanted more than anything to find out what Harry had to share about his meeting with Dumbledore and Snape. And whether she still even had a detention or not. But she supposed that she would have to wait like everyone else... all because of  _stupid_  Slughorn and his  _preposterous_  amount of homework!

Ginny sighed as she tried to concentrate on writing another line on her parchment paper. She was currently sitting alone at her table in the library. Colin had managed to get done with his essay a little while ago, and he packed up and left already. While Ginny would have been done already if her mind hadn't kept straying from the tedious task...

She really had to hurry up and finish. The library was set to close soon and she always had a much harder time concentrating in the common room.

But she couldn't stop her mind from seeing images from earlier on in the evening... Harry had looked  _really good_  up on that podium. She found his confidence to be alluring, and his leadership... Ginny shuddered as her thoughts went down dirty paths.

And then there had been the way he had come up behind her and grabbed her hand that held her wand, then whispered in her ear... and he did all of this without even realizing what it  _really_  did to her. What  _he_  really did to her...

"Hey, uh, Ginny." A thick, Irish accent spoke up from behind her, interrupting her thoughts.

Ginny looked up and saw that it was Seamus, who looked mighty nervous for some reason. Ginny smiled kindly at Seamus, never having had any problem with the Irish Gryffindor, despite him being Dean's best mate...

"Hi, Seamus," She said in what she hoped was a bright tone. "What brings you down in the library this late?" Then a thought came to her, and she frowned in sympathy. "Don't tell me that Slughorn is accosting you with homework as well... I swear that someone needs to slap him up with a confundus hex, just so we can get a day of peace!"

Seamus chuckled nervously, wiping at the sweat at the back of his neck.

"No... I'm not here to do any homework," Seamus swallowed heavily. "I-I was actually looking for you..."

_"Me?"_ Ginny asked, sounding surprised.

Seamus merely nodded, no longer confident enough to clarify his reasonings to her.

"Well," Ginny continued, awkwardly, "You found me."

Seamus saw this as an invitation and took the liberty of sitting next to her. "Yeah... I found you." Seamus coughed uncomfortably and fidgeted in his seat.

Ginny stared at him while she waited patiently for him to say what he needed to say. She wondered if it had anything to do with Dean, and frowned at the idea of Seamus trying to get them back together on Dean's behalf.

There was no way she was getting back together with Dean. Ginny was adamant on that. No matter how nice Seamus was to her as he tried to convince her.

_"Will you go out with me?!"_ Seamus suddenly blurted, startling her with the way his body lunged forward in his seat as he asked.

Ginny's jaw  _dropped_.

Seeing her reaction, Seamus sat back in his seat and quickly continued with a rambling explanation. "Look, I know that this seems rather sudden and out of nowhere for you. But I think that you're  _beautiful_  and charming, and I'm hoping that you'll just take a chance to get to know me..."

Ginny really hadn't expected this. If someone had told her this morning that her ex-boyfriend's best mate was going to ask her out, she surely would have thought them to be barmy.

When some time passed with Ginny just staring at him without saying anything, Seamus started to visibly get more nervous.

"I even understand that Harry will always be important to you and your family if that's what you're concerned about," Seamus tried to reassure. "In fact, I have no problem with the bloke."

At the mention of Harry, Ginny broke out of her stupor, and she gave Seamus a speculative look.

"I guess I'm just trying to understand why you would ask me out...?" Ginny asked, curiosity thick in her voice. "I mean, what about  _Dean?_ He's your best mate..."

But to Ginny's surprise, Seamus didn't don a look of guilt and shame, as she expected. Instead, Seamus made a face at the mention of Dean.

"Dean and I... aren't exactly on the same page at the moment..."

Now Ginny couldn't help herself from bursting with curiosity, questions burning in her eyes. And Seamus must have seen this, as he continued sourly, "Before I say anything, I just want to apologize for my part in it..."

Her interest was piqued even more at his sudden apology. What exactly did Seamus have to be sorry for?

Seamus sighed and ran a hand through his hair roughly, leaving the ends sticking up.

"It all goes back to last spring..." Seamus began slowly.

Then he proceeded to tell her all about how Dean had only gone out with her in the first place because he felt pity for her after he heard that Harry rejected her.

"...but Dean was telling me about how he was waiting for you to meet him on the train so that he could break up with you. And that he didn't care if you missed the sorting feast to cry in the girls' bathroom over it."

Ginny could not believe what she was hearing. She highly doubted that she would have been upset enough to go cry in the girl's bathroom if Dean had broken up with her... In fact, she probably would have been happy that she could go join Harry on the train at the time – something she would have done if she hadn't promised Dean in their letters that she would sit with him. With a start, Ginny realized that the only reason Dean wanted her to sit with him on the train so badly was because he wanted to break things off with her before the school year actually started.

But what really irritated her was the fact that Dean had only started to date her, because he  _pitied_  her! What a waste of time their relationship was!

"Why didn't he break up with me on the train then, if he was done entertaining  _'the charity case'?"_ Ginny spat, in a right terrible mood, now.

Surprise flitted across Seamus' face. "You're  _kidding_ , right?  _Ginny_ … over the summer you became  _smoking_   ** _hot_** _!"_ Seamus' face flushed a bright red but he smiled shyly at her all the same. "You are definitely the hottest girl in Hogwarts, and every bloke must be thinking it!"

Ginny's mouth fell open in shock.  _Her?_ The  _hottest girl_  in school?! Has Seamus gone  _bloody mad?!_

"You've gone barmy..." Ginny whispered as she stared at him with so much confusion.

Seamus merely shrugged and said, "Well, regardless, Dean thought that you've gotten too attractive to break up with. The moment that he saw you on the train, he was thinking of ways to get into your skirt..."

Seamus trailed off at the scathing look that Ginny was giving him and swallowed mightily, looking slightly terrified of her. "Sorry..." He said, "But it's the truth."

Ginny sighed, and dropped her angry glare, "I know. It's not  _you_  that I'm mad at... you're just trying to tell me the truth."

Seamus nodded and laid his hand on her shoulder in a comforting way.

"It's alright. I'm here for you, Ginny." Seamus said, before continuing, "Dean got so jealous and possessive over you. And he knew how you felt for Harry for years, so he felt threatened by him. So, when Dean saw Harry fly through our dorm window on his broom in the middle of the night,  _he lost it!_ Went into a mad rage, and grabbed Harry right from his bed and shoved him against the wall, where Harry hit his head. He had accused Harry of making you his whore... which set Ron off and it took a while before Harry and Neville were able to get Ron out of there..."

Ginny listened in shock, never having heard the whole story of that night before.

"As soon as Harry and Ron had left, Dean knew that he screwed up big time. He begged me to help him. He knew that you would break up with him for sure when you found out. So, I did... I went and knicked some Angerall potion from Slughorn's supply, and he drank it right before going to the hospital wing. Where he told Madam Pomfrey that someone spiked his goblet with the potion. It became his cover story, but it only worked in delaying your breakup with him."

Ginny was seething, shaking with rage. Her hand twitching for her wand, feeling compelled to action. She wanted to find Dean, march right up to him and  _hex_  his bits  _right off!_  She couldn't believe that he had  _lied_  to her about all of it! What kind of person was he to attack Harry while he was unaware?!

"And that's not the last time he messed with Harry, either..." Seamus continued, and, if possible, Ginny's eyes flashed even more.

"There's  _more?!"_

Seamus nodded, now unsure seeing that he noticed Ginny getting more and more on edge the more that he told her.

"It was after you broke up with Dean. Harry had gotten into the shower..." Ginny flushed slightly at the picture Seamus had just painted for her but opted to keep the images out in order to hold onto her anger. "And Dean burst in on him, accusing him of making you his slut again. Dean had actually opened the shower curtain and was yelling at him while the poor bloke was naked. But Harry seemed right mad at Dean for what he said, and he socked him right in the jaw..."

Ginny gasped, feeling slightly more excited by the fact that Harry stood up for her. But perhaps, Seamus had it wrong and Harry merely punched Dean because he didn't like the rude invasion of privacy while he was... naked. Coils in Ginny's lower abdomen tightened at the image she conjured in her mind...

_Harry_... in all his  _nude_  glory... displaying his  _manly power_  in one swift punch.

Ginny automatically pressed her thighs together in hopes to quell the spreading heat in between her legs.

"But the most amazing part was, that after Harry stepped out of the shower and put a towel on, he got real close to Dean and threatened him. I have no idea what he said, but Harry... he was glowing...!"

G- _Glowing?!_

She must have exclaimed this out loud without even realizing it because Seamus nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, it was downright terrifying. Dean looked as though he had met his maker... Harry had been so serious and looked so powerful, that he didn't even really look like Harry anymore, you know?"

Ginny nodded, even though she didn't understand what he was trying to imply. Harry would always be Harry to her. No matter if he was glowing, balding, or even a squib... he would always be Harry. It was that simple to her.

"Thanks for telling me all of this, Seamus..." Ginny said in a rather robotic tone, her mind still trying to process and catch up with all that was revealed.

Seamus nodded, and suddenly looked nervous again. "So... what do you say to going to the first Hogsmeade visit with me?"

Ginny's icy demeanour melted as she looked at the sixth-year boy apologetically. "I'm sorry, Seamus. You are a really nice guy, but I don't see you in that way. And besides that, I made the decision to stay single for a long while..."

Seamus sighed and ran a hand through his hair before giving her a sad smile. "You're breaking every bloke's heart in the castle with that decision..."

Ginny rolled her eyes but she couldn't help but smile at the compliment.

Finally, Seamus shrugged and commented as he stood, "Can't blame a bloke for trying."

Ginny nodded and grinned. "You're a good guy, Seamus. Any girl is lucky to have a shot with you."

Some of Seamus' confidence came back at that and he replied, "Let me know how you plan to get back at Dean... I have a feeling that he needs a few more blows to the head before I finally get my old friend back..."

And with that, Seamus left. And Ginny was left behind, reminded of her rage at her ex-boyfriend all over again.

Oh... she would get revenge. And it would be sweet. Because no one played Ginny Weasley for a fool and got away with it. Not since she had been tricked by the diary of Tom Riddle in her first year.

She was not a victim.

She was not to be pitied.

And for the first time, Ginny knew - without a doubt - that she deserved better.

.

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	27. Chapter 27

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Chapter Twenty-Seven

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If anyone saw Ginny Weasley at that moment, they would come to a simple conclusion…

Ginny Weasley was undeniably…  _furious_.

That much could be perceived by the brisk, stomping pace she set down the corridors with her wand clenched tightly in her fist – armed at the ready.

Ginny had tried to think of a clever idea for revenge against Dean, but the more that she thought over all that her ex-boyfriend had done, the angrier she got… until it got to the point, where she felt the overwhelming need to hex the bogies right out of Dean Thomas.

Finally, she made it up to the Fat Lady's portrait and hissed out the password before the Fat Lady could even ask for it. The Fat Lady huffed in irritation at Ginny, before opening – but not before adding a comment on how rude the painting thought Ginny was.

Ginny clenched her jaw and ignored the comment. Immediately stepping through the portrait hole, and making her way towards the stairs that led to the boys' dormitories. She didn't even pay attention to if there were any other students in the common room. She was so distracted by the red haze in her vision that she merely stomped up the boy's stairs without another thought.

Until,  _finally_ , she made it to what she assumed to be the sixth-year boys' dorm.

Readying herself with a deep breath and tightening her fist on her wand, Ginny pushed open the door.

The room was an absolute disaster. Clothes were thrown all about and the distinct smell of  _teenage_   _boy_  reeked up the surrounding area.

But this didn't bother Ginny in the slightest. Seeing as she had grown up with six older brothers and grown quite used to the mess and the testosterone-based smell.

Her eyes immediately scanned each of the beds, only to find that most of them were empty. Empty... until her eyes landed on the last bed - which  _was_  occupied.

Ginny froze in the doorway when she spotted him. It was so strange to see him like this... on his side, with tears silently streaming down his cheeks…

Ginny's heart clenched at the sight of him – her anger disappearing - and she knew that she simply had to go to him.

Crossing the floor in a few great strides, Ginny paused when she stood in front of him, silent.

Harry's eyes widened as he took in her presence, and immediately, he bolted upright into a sitting position - wiping his cheeks hastily.

_"Gin..."_ Harry breathed, somehow seeming wary and grateful for her presence at the same time.

Ginny didn't say a word. Instead, she climbed over his body, to lay on the other side of the bed with him. But before settling herself down, Ginny reached over Harry and closed his bed-hangings, then set up numerous privacy charms.

Setting her wand down on the side, Ginny turned to see Harry, still upright, staring at her with wide eyes. Almost as though he thought that he had just been caught doing something shameful.

Ginny gave him a small, reassuring smile and reached out to him. Grabbing his arm, she tugged him closer and Harry came willingly. She settled him on top of her... with his cheek so close to her breasts, but also to her heart. Then, she wrapped her arms around him, and rested her chin atop his head, breathing in his scent.

Harry was tense for a long moment before he finally relaxed against her and wrapped his arms around her torso, hugging her to him.

They were silent for a long while, with Harry just listening to her heartbeat as Ginny breathed in his unique musk and listened to each one of his breaths. She couldn't believe how much she has grown to care for Harry and how much they have grown to mean to each other. It was rather disorienting as she tried to think about when it had exactly happened. But she decided that it didn't matter  _when_  it happened, only that it did.

Finally, Harry inhaled as he prepared to speak. _"You aren't going to ask me what's wrong?"_ He whispered against her collarbone.

Ginny sighed and turned to rest her cheek on Harry's head instead. "Not unless you want me to… besides, if you want to tell me, then you will tell me. I'm not going to pressure you, or anything…"

Harry nodded against her and then was silent again. And Ginny wondered if he really didn't want to tell her what was wrong with him. And inwardly resolved herself to be alright with that.

But then, much to her surprise, Harry spoke again. And he told her everything. About the Deathly Hallows being real, about how his father's invisibility cloak was one of them, how Dumbledore had given him the Resurrection Stone, how he had met his parents and saw Sirius again.

Then, how he introduced Ron and Hermione to his parents, and he expressed that he had wanted Ginny to be there as well. How his mum was angry about Snape, and how his dad and Sirius revealed that Snape was in love with his mum. And how his mum had wanted Harry to give Snape the Resurrection Stone. And finally, how he and his mum had an argument over it before Harry had thrusted the stone into Hermione's hand and stormed off…

Ginny listened in silent shock and awe of his story, never once interrupting as she quietly listened.

Harry was finished recounting his tale after revealing that he left the Room of Requirement. And Ginny finally felt that it was finally alright to say something.

_"Wow…"_ She breathed. "I can't believe that the Deathly Hallows are real… and that you actually got to meet your parents! Not to mention, seeing Sirius again!"

This caused Harry to sit up as he stared at her with wide eyes. "You-You actually  _believe me?"_

Ginny frowned in confusion and sat up herself. "Of course. Why wouldn't I? You've never given me reason to not believe you, before."

Harry pursed his lips and Ginny could see that he was trying to suppress a smile. Something that she wished he wouldn't do… His smile had been so rare for a long while last year, that she basked in the sight of it every time.

"It's just that, Ron and Hermione thought that I was  _barmy_  when I told them… and I actually  _had_  the Resurrection Stone with me to show them. But with you, all I do is tell you – without any proof, mind you – and you automatically believe me." Harry bit his lip and shook his head slightly before looking shyly up at her once again. "I-I guess that I'm just not used people really believing in me…"

Ginny blushed and looked away from his intense, green gaze. Then busied herself with tucking her hair behind her ear, just for something for her hand to do.

_"So,"_ Ginny said, to break the silence that followed. "Were you upset because it was your first fight with your mum…?" She asked, feeling that it was comfortable enough for her to ask now since Harry had already revealed everything else to her.

Harry sighed and leaned back against his own pillow, staring hard at the red comforter beneath him. "I-I suppose…? It certainly has something to do with it." Then Harry groaned out in frustration and raked a rough hand through his shaggy, black hair. "The truth is, that I'm not entirely sure what it was that made me so upset… all I know is that  _every time_  she mentioned that she wanted me to give Snape the Resurrection Stone, I got more and more upset."

Ginny thought over this critically, trying to find the exact reason why this would upset him so much. Before clarity suddenly found her and it all seemed completely obvious.

"Well, it makes sense, doesn't it?" Ginny said, and Harry looked up at her again, questions in his eyes. Ginny sat up straight even more and crossed her legs as she faced him. "From what your dad and Sirius say is true, then Snape and your mum used to be best friends in Hogwarts… and this entire time, Snape has been  _in love_  with your  _mum_."

Harry made a face at that and Ginny couldn't help but snicker a little. Even though she couldn't blame him, one bit. If  _Snape_  had been in love with  _her mum_ … Ginny shuddered at the thought.

"Then, if you gave Snape the Resurrection Stone," Ginny continued, "There is little chance that he would give it back to you. I mean, why would he? He's never cared about you as a person, and if you handed him a stone where he could see the woman he loves every day for the rest of his life…" Ginny shrugged and Harry nodded enthusiastically.

_"Yes!"_ Harry exclaimed. "That's  _exactly_  what I have been thinking! If I gave Snape the stone, I wouldn't see my family again…"

At the end of his outspoken thought, Harry became rather glum just at the mere thought of losing his newfound family. And Ginny's heart broke just to see him upset over something that other people took for granted every day. Which was the privilege of a family.

"But I don't think that's all…" Ginny continued, in a whisper now. And Harry looked at her curiously again. "I think that it hurt you more than you think when your mum wanted you to give Snape the stone…"

Harry tensed and shifted his eyes away from hers. "An-And why would you think that?"

Ginny folded her hands in her lap and stared down at them. "Well, if you think about it, you've spent your entire childhood with people who didn't want you. And then, miraculously, you suddenly get a magical stone that allows you to see your dead family… I think that suddenly getting that much unconditional love in your life was a little too much to believe for you."

Harry was now staring at her with wide eyes, but he said nothing. So, Ginny continued on…

"I-I think that when your mum was asking you to give Snape the Resurrection Stone, that you –  _subconsciously_ , of course – saw that as your mum not wanting you…" Ginny whispered. "That by your mum asking you to give up the stone, that she really-"

" _That by giving up the stone, she wanted to give up me_ …" Harry whispered, realization dawning on his face, and fresh, unshed tears welled up in his eyes once again. He wiped his eyes hastily with the back of his sleeve and sniffled. "I-I think you hit the nail right on the head with that one, Gin…"

As Harry said this, he hugged his knees to him and looked down miserably. Ginny immediately wrapped her arms around him.

_"I understand where these thoughts stem from for you, but you have to know that they aren't true, Harry_ , _"_ Ginny whispered into his hair. "I've never met your mum, but from what I  _do_  know about her, I know that she  _loves_  you  _very much_."

Harry nodded slightly and sniffed again before lifting his head and righting his glasses. "I-I guess I just kept hearing Uncle Vernon's voice in the back of my head… yelling at me about how my parents died just so they could get away from me… I guess I took my mum wanting me to give Snape the stone as the same way. That if she had to be brought back through the stone, she would much rather spend the time with  _Snape_  than me."

Ginny dropped her arms from around him and waited until he looked up at her. Then she smiled softly at him and took one of his hands into both of hers. "You do know that's not true, though, right?"

Harry hesitated for a long moment before he smiled slightly back and her and nodded. Ginny grinned widely at him and squeezed his hand.

_"So?"_ She said, excitement seeping into her voice. "Your  _parents_ , huh?"

Harry's smile grew exponentially and he nodded. _"Yeah_ …" He said, as though he were in a dream. "Pretty great, isn't it?"

Ginny nodded, eagerly. "So, do I get to meet them, too?"

…..

Harry woke with the scent of flowers in his nostrils. He inhaled deeply, trying to get as much of the scent in him as possible before he exhaled with a satisfied sigh. He opened his eyes and realized immediately why the scent of flowers was so potent.

Ginny's glorious red hair was stuffed right in his face… or was it his face that was stuffed right into Ginny's hair…?

Harry wasn't sure. All that he was sure of was that Ginny's scent was driving him  _crazy!_ His  _rock-hard_  erection was a testament of that…

His erection… which was firmly pressed up against Ginny's bum as she slept on her side.

Panicking, Harry immediately tore his hips away from her, flopping onto his back. Though a small part of him regretted moving away from Ginny, at all. He had been quite comfortable, pressed up against Ginny like that… His erection making a home in-between her clothed cheeks…

Harry silently groaned at how painful his hardness actually was when captured in the jeans he neglected to change out of the night before. He had to bite his bottom lip to fight the temptation to reach down and palm himself in order to get some relief.

But he couldn't possibly do that when  _Ginny was in his bed!..._

…Could he?

Harry shook his head.  _No._  He couldn't. He wasn't thinking properly… All of the blood from his brain was currently residing in his penis.

But what else could he do? He couldn't just  _ignore_  it. And no matter how many times he tried to picture Dudley in that yellow polka-dot dress, his problem just  _wouldn't go away_ … all because of the sexy girl with the flowery scent, who was laying  _right next to him!_

It was at that moment, Ginny moaned in her sleep, and shifted positions… so that she was laying on top of Harry! Harry had to hold in a yelp when Ginny's leg came up and draped itself over his lap… and  _right on top of his erection!_

Harry couldn't help it. He was  _panicking!_ He was  _trapped!_ Oh,  _Merlin_ , she was  _so warm_ …

Harry's bottom lip started to bleed from how hard he was biting it, keeping in the moan that wanted to escape from within.

But it didn't stop there.  _Oh no_ … that would be entirely too gracious to Harry in this predicament. In her sleep, Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry's torso, pressing her breasts against his side. And buried her face into the curve of his neck.

Letting out a long moan – a sound that caused Harry's dick to jerk in his pants - Ginny's tongue slithered out of her mouth and licked up along the side of his neck.

Harry tensed. He couldn't  _stop it_. There was  _no holding it in!_

Harry's balls drew up, tightening as the first wave of his orgasm overcame him.

But before his orgasm even finished, Harry panicked, jumping at the suddenness of it all and rolled through the closed curtains and off the bed. Landing right on his bum.

_"Oy!_ Mate, are you alright?" Ron asked, sitting on his own bed. Wearing pyjamas, mussed up bed hair and a concerned look.

_"I-I'm fine!"_ Harry said, his voice sounding squeaky as the last of his orgasm went through him. It took all of Harry's self-control not to show any outward signs of it, but his muscles were twitching from the effort.

Hastily, Harry checked over his shoulder to see if the curtains surrounding his bed were still closed. And sighed in relief when he saw that they were. Ron may approve of Harry fancying Ginny, but that might change if he ever caught Ginny in  _Harry's bed_ … No matter if she was only there to comfort a friend.

Ron gave him an incredulous look. "Did you have a nightmare or something?"

Desperately needing an excuse, Harry eagerly latched onto that excuse and nodded excessively. "Yeah… yeah. But, not anything having to do with Voldemort. H-Honestly, I don't even remember it."

Looking at him strangely, Ron merely shrugged then replied, "About last night, mate-"

Harry waved it off and stood awkwardly, feeling the uncomfortable stickiness in his boxers. "We don't need to talk about it. I found out the real reason why I was upset, and now know that the reasons were silly and untrue."

Ron grinned for the first time that day. "Good. Hermione was going to bombard you with the stone downstairs and guilt-trip you into taking it back." Then Ron frowned and looked questioningly at Harry. "You aren't going to actually give the stone to  _Snape_ , are you, mate?"

Harry immediately shook his head. "I may be willing to make amends with my mum, but there is  _no way_  I will ever give  _Snape_  the stone."

Harry and Ron switched to safer topics of conversation after that, as Seamus just came out of the bathroom from his shower. And Harry noticed that, for some reason, Seamus seemed rather reluctant to meet his eye. As though Seamus were a kid that had just done something wrong. But Harry decided not to question it and shrugged it off.

It was when Ron took his turn in the bathroom, Harry waited until Seamus' back was turned towards his own trunk – before whipping his invisibility cloak out of his back pocket. Harry thrust his hand through his bed curtains and waited until he felt the invisibility cloak being tugged out from his hand. And was relieved to know that Ginny was awake and that she had a means of escape without getting caught.

Harry hastily changed after that, throwing his soiled boxers in the laundry bin for the house elves to pick up and clean. He felt almost guilty that they had to handle them, but reasoned that with so many teenaged boys over the years, the house elves were probably used to it by now.

It was rather awkward getting changed when he knew that Ginny was in the room, the only thing separating her eyes on his nude form was a flimsy curtain… But he managed to get through it with only minimal blushing to his cheeks and neck.

After donning his school robes and straightening them, Harry checked for the coast being clear – before dipping his hand back through the curtains and beckoning with his hand for her to come through. He knew the exact moment she was standing by him. The little hairs on the back of his neck prickled by her close presence.

Then, Harry carefully led the way out of his dorm room, opening the door wide enough for them both to fit through. All the while, Harry wondered when events in his life would ever be easy…

But when he heard Ginny, invisible behind him, giggle at the ridiculousness of the situation; Harry couldn't help but smile and think that any hardship where Ginny was concerned, was well worth it.

….

Harry didn't see Hermione at breakfast. In fact, he didn't even see her in their first class together – a fact that alarmed Harry immensely. Because if Hermione was willing to skip class, then something  _definitely_  had to be wrong.

So, it was after class, when he was unexpectedly pulled from the corridor into a dark, little alcove hidden behind a tapestry when Harry felt a bit of relief find him.

Hermione's features were easily distinguishable in the dim light behind the tapestry. And from what Harry could tell, she looked  _awful_.

_"Hermione,"_ Harry exclaimed, his voice stressed with alarm. "Did you get  _any_  sleep at all, last night?!"

Hermione glared at him, which looked even scarier than normal with the large bags under her eyes. _"Not much,_ if you'd actually like to know… I spend most of the night trying to console your  _poor_  parents, Harry!  _Especially_  your  _mum!_ How could you just  _storm off_  like that, Harry?! Don't you understand how  _worried_  they-"

_"Look,"_ Harry interrupted, irritated by the lecture she was giving him. "I may regret the way that I stormed off, but I'm not going to apologize for needing some time away from them to think some things through myself. And I realized a couple of things…"

Harry held out his hand, his palm open and expecting. "So, if you will just give me the stone, please? I want to make things right with my mother."

Hermione seemed to be shocked at how easy it was to give Harry back the stone… As she had expected there to be some sort of fight between them, with Hermione trying to convince Harry to make up with his mother. But Hermine didn't hesitate. She untucked the Resurrection Stone out from under her cloak and pulled the chain necklace that it was connected to, over her head.

Harry grabbed the offered chain and smiled at Hermione softly. "You know that you could have just stopped touching the stone in order to get some sleep. I was actually worried when you didn't show up to class this morning."

_"I couldn't do that!"_ Hermione protested with a scandalized look. "It's like hanging up the telephone on someone! It's terribly  _rude!"_

Harry couldn't help but snicker as he thought that the reference would have definitely gone over Ginny's head… but not Ron's, considering the fact that he had actually called him at his aunt and uncle's house before his third year – Which had gotten him into some deep trouble, as Ron wouldn't stop shouting into the telephone receiver.

"Well," Harry said, in a grateful tone, "Thanks for talking to my parents… and trying to make them feel better."

Hermione finally smiled at him, though it was a tired one. "Of course, Harry. Anything for my little brother…" Then she stepped forward and pecked him on the cheek, before taking her leave. Leaving Harry alone with the stone…

Taking out his wand from his robe pocket, Harry cast a silencing charm for privacy. Then, taking a big breath, put the chain over his neck and tucked the stone underneath his jumper so that it touched his bare skin… Then watched as three figures shimmered into view.

_"Harry!"_ His mum and dad cried out in relief. His mum instantly burst into dry tears that would never fall from her eyes, while his dad looked on at him – his face entirely etched with worry and relief at seeing him. Harry briefly looked over at Sirius and noticed his face to be neutral and rather relaxed.

Suddenly, there was the touch of cold hands on his face, and he looked up to find his mum cupping his cheeks with her hands. Her watery looking face was pained with so much regret. "I'm so  _sorry_ , sweetheart.  _So sorry_ … Forget that I said anything about Snape. It doesn't even matter, at all. Just  _please_ …  _don't shut us out_ …" The way that she said this sounded so  _broken_ , that it cracked a part of Harry's heart.

Harry reached out and pulled his mum into an embrace, holding her tiny frame in his arms… he never actually realized how small she was before, and that he was actually taller than her. The thought made his heart break for her even more. She never had the chance to spend his childhood with him… to see him grow up… to have a hand in what sort of man he would become.

"I-I won't," Harry said, his voice cracking with tears of his own. "I promise. I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have just stormed off like that. Even if I did need the space, I should have just said so."

His dad came up and wrapped his own arms around the both of them. "You had us  _so_   _scared_ , Harry. We thought that you didn't want to see us again…!"

Harry pulled back to arms-length to look at both of his parents in the face, meeting both of their eyes directly. "Th-that's what I was afraid of, too…" Harry admitted, then looked at his mum. "When you kept saying that you wanted me to give the stone to Snape, I-I subconsciously took that as you wanting me to get rid of the stone, just so you could get rid of me…"

His parents both gasped, and his dad tugged him close first in a tight embrace before his mum joined in as well… loosening one of James' arms to allow her to get underneath.

"How could you ever think that, Harry…?" His dad asked, his voice completely perplexed.

Harry swallowed heavily and shook his head slightly – which was pressed in-between his dad's chest and his mum's forehead. "I-I just… well, you know that Snape would never give the stone back to me as soon as I gave it to him…  _Especially_  if what you say about Snape loving mum is true."

They were both so quiet as they listened to his reasonings. Before his dad nodded in agreement. "You know that he's right, Lils. Snape's love for you has always been more of an obsession than anything. He wouldn't give the stone back to Harry for anything…"

They all pulled away slightly as Lily nodded with a sniff. "You-You're right. Of course, you're right. I-I hadn't thought of that. It's really no wonder some part of you thought that I didn't want you…" Lily looked down miserably. "I-I'm a terrible mother, aren't I?"

Harry immediately shook his head and almost aggressively pulled her in for his tightest embrace. _"No,_ mum… you are honestly the best mum that I have ever seen. Not to mention the best person… I-I've never actually thanked you for sacrificing your life to save mine… Not many kids can say that their parents have done that for them."

Lily shook in his arms and Harry immediately pulled away. "Sorry… was I hurting you by squeezing too tight?"

If possible, more dry tears formed in her eyes at that and his dad and Sirius looked rather glum.

"What…? What is it?" Harry asked, immediately concerned.

His mum shook her head repeatedly, unwilling to say anything. It was Sirius who spoke up after he heaved a heavy – albeit unnecessary – sigh. "We-we sort of can't feel your touch, Harry…"

Harry's eyes widened and he felt his heart clench painfully before it dropped. "Wh-what?"

His dad nodded, sadly. "N-now I actually understand the story from the three brothers… Growing up, I could never understand why the dead girl the one brother loved, was so miserable whenever he brought her forth through the stone-"

Lily immediately hit James as a look of alarm overcame Harry's face from his father's words. Miserable…? They were  _miserable_  being here?

"Before you say anything," James said, hastily, "We are not miserable by coming to see you. But… but our senses are dulled… we can see, hear, and speak, but we can't feel your touch. We can't taste, smell, breathe… It's almost as though we are  _underwater_ , right now…"

Sirius nodded. "And even with our sight, everything is dulled down. Almost like having your terrible vision, but without the glasses."

All of this… upset Harry more than he cared to think, in fear of finding himself losing it. But as he looked at how sad his mum looked, Harry couldn't help but ask… "So, when I hugged you just then…" Harry swallowed, heavily. "You-You didn't feel it?"

Lily bit her lip and nodded reluctantly. But then, she reached forward and stroked his cheek with her fingers. And Harry knew that she only did so for his benefit… seeing as she couldn't feel it. _"I miss the feeling of your soft, baby skin_ …" His mum whispered brokenly. "Even though it's not so soft, anymore. I still miss it. But none of that matters. Not when we are fortunate enough to have each other…"

Her fingers went up to fluff at his hair, her eyes never straying away from his. "When we touch you, Harry, don't think about how we can't feel it… Think about how our touch makes you feel to you, on the inside. Because that is  _all_  that matters to us."

Harry nodded shakily, tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry… I was selfish before for leaving you and throwing that stone at Hermione. At least I am lucky enough to be able to feel your touch. And then I go and take away the only senses you have available to me… which is sight and the ability to communicate…"

James put his arm around his shoulder, and said, "Think nothing of it, Son."

They were quiet for a long moment, just basking in the feeling of togetherness they felt. Until finally, Sirius broke the silence. "I told you two that there was nothing to worry about…" He said to Lily and James. "Harry may have his temperament issues, but at the end of the day, he is always around to protect and love the ones most important to him."

His dad bent down to kiss Harry's forehead. "Right you are, Padfoot. Right you are…"

….

Harry spent the rest of the day with the Resurrection Stone hanging from around his neck. After his first fight with his mum, he hadn't the heart to let them go just yet. It was rather obvious to all of them that they were suffering from some sort of separation anxiety. His parents sometimes spoke to him, sometimes they were silent spectators, and other times they just spoke quietly amongst themselves. But they only did this when Harry was busy concentrating on other things.

During Defense Against the Dark Arts, his mum had started to rub at the tension in his shoulders. As Snape was extra cruel to him after what had happened the night before in Dumbledore's office. And even though his mum was no longer on his case about giving Snape the Resurrection Stone, Harry could hear her muttering under her breath to herself about  _'teaching the slimy git a lesson'_.

It was before lunchtime when Harry caught a glimpse of Ginny walking far ahead of him towards the Great Hall. And just at the sight of her, Harry was reminded of the promise he made to her the night before...

So, ducking into an empty classroom for a minute, Harry told his family that he had told Ginny about them and that he wanted them to meet her that night, after his first lesson with Dumbledore.

This obviously served to perk up their spirits from Snape's torment and their separation anxiety, as they all looked visibly excited to meet the girl that Harry was in love with. But before Harry left the classroom to join said girl for lunch, Harry looked to his father and Godfather and pointed a stern finger at them. "But no  _funny business_ , you hear?"

Sirius smirked and tried to look innocent, while his dad donned a look that Harry could only describe as being  _'mockingly appalled'_.

"Y-You would  _dare_   _doubt_  us?!" James cried out, dramatically. "Especially  _me?_ You're  _only father?!"_

Harry didn't have to even think. "Yes. I do. Now, be sure you are on your best behaviour when you meet Ginny. And please,  _for the love of Merlin_ , don't  _embarrass_  me!"

James sputtered then and said something about how he was the most trustworthy person that Harry has had to have ever met, but Harry didn't respond. He merely rolled his eyes, while hiding a smile as he left the classroom - eagerly making his way to the Great Hall for lunch with Ginny.

...

It was hours later when Harry was riding his broom through the night air with his invisibility cloak wrapped tight around him - which he had gotten back from Ginny at breakfast.

He wasn't wearing the Resurrection Stone around his neck, anymore. As he had taken it off to take a shower and have a quick wank - which Harry outright refused to have his family see that experience. No matter how much separation anxiety they had...

This time, Harry had remembered to set up a silencing charm on the bathroom door, as well as a locking charm to keep out unwanted intruders. Then he let one of his fantasies take over starring him and Ginny.

Harry smiled as he thought over the fantasy now...

_They were in the Room of Requirement, alone... everyone had just left so they wouldn't miss curfew. And Ginny had told him that she had something that she wanted to talk to him about. Harry had been immediately concerned, afraid there was some sort of trouble Ginny found herself in that she needed his help with._

_But then, Ginny suddenly blurted out, "I FANCY YOU, HARRY!"_

_Harry staggered back in shock, his backpack dropping off his shoulder, and onto the floor._

_But instead of rejecting her, this time, Harry's lips grew into a dopey grin._

_He stepped forward, Ginny looked terribly on edge and completely nervous as he did so, and he gathered her up into his arms._

_"Gin..." Harry said, her name a mere breath falling from his lips. "I don't fancy you..."_

_Ginny's face crumbled in pain, and she tried to turn her head down, blocking her beautiful, brown eyes from Harry. And he was having none of that, so he tucked her chin with his fingers, and brought her gaze back up to his._

_"I don't fancy you, because I_ _**love** _ _you, Ginevra Weasley. And I always will."_

_Ginny's face only showed pure shock, but Harry didn't dwell on the fact that she may need the time to process what he had just revealed. Instead, he bent his head down and captured her lips with his._

_It only took a moment for Ginny to return the kiss with full passion._

_Then, suddenly, Ginny was jumping into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. Harry easily caught her light form, and groaned out at the feeling of her hot, clothed center pressed against his erection…_

Harry came after that. And was surprised that his orgasm stemmed less from sexual thoughts and more from...  _emotional_  thoughts.

Which brought Harry to where he was now, flying through the air on his broomstick.

Harry was earlier than he had originally intended, as Dumbledore had rescheduled their meeting for 8 pm on Saturday, instead. But Harry hadn't had the time to tell Ginny about the change but figured that it probably wasn't much of an inconvenience.

Flying up to her dorm window, Harry noticed that it was already open for him.

But as Harry flew up to the open window, he gasped and his eyes widened at the sight in front of him…

Ginny obviously wasn't expecting him to be this early… because her back was turned to him, her long, red hair was wet and draped over her smooth shoulder. And she was wearing nothing but a short, fluffy, white towel to cover her nudity.

_Merlin_ … he had just caught  _Ginny Weasley_  coming  _out of the shower!_

His cock started to harden as he sat, frozen in place, staring at her  _gloriously wet_ , partially  _nude_  form… Her pale skin looked so  _creamy_ , the exposed skin of her back looked so  _smooth_. He wanted nothing more than to fly in there and run his tongue all along the ridges of her back… to kiss and suck at the skin on her shoulders and neck.

It was as her towel started to loosen, as she prepared to change into her clothing, did Harry suddenly remember himself and tore his broom away. But he jerked his broom too quickly and he started falling out of the sky…

Immediately, the dropping sensation in his stomach overcame him and his Quidditch Seeking instincts kicked in. Gripping both of his hands on his broom handle, he used all of his strength to force his broom upright.

He managed to gain control of his broom only a mere ten feet above the ground. Harry paused in the air, hovering above the ground, as he fought to maintain control over his laboured breath. Sweeping a hand over his forehead, wiping away all the cold sweat that had accumulated at his hairline, Harry couldn't help but notice that the sudden scare from his fall from the sky, served to actually kill his erection.

As he hovered there, breathing, Harry squeezed his eyes shut tight to keep the arousing images that he had just witnessed out of his mind. The good thing about the fall is that it killed the boner he would have had to endure in front of, not only Ginny, but his family as well.

And though Ginny wouldn't think to notice the bulge in his trousers, his dad and Sirius might… and they were rather unpredictable in what they would do if Harry found himself in a situation like that. Because Harry didn't quite trust their word when they said that they wouldn't try to embarrass him in front of Ginny.

Harry decided then that it was probably prudent that he took a few laps around the castle on his broom, to give Ginny enough time to,  _er_ … become  _decent_ …

When Harry went around the castle ten times, rather than just three, he was still a little more than hesitant to approach Ginny's dorm window. He found himself hovering just below it, wondering if it was actually safe to fly upward a bit.

Until, finally, Harry decided to just get it over with. He was still under his invisibility cloak, and if Ginny was still… indisposed, Harry could fly a few more laps around the castle.

Bracing himself, Harry rose his broom slowly… just enough for him to be able to peak over the window ledge and peer inside.

Ginny was now dressed, much to Harry's relief and disappointment, and was wearing some modest, cotton, button-down pyjamas. Her back was still turned away from the window and Harry, and she was facing the mirror on the wall, brushing out her damp, long hair.

Peaking over at the rest of the room, Harry noticed that none of her dormmates were in sight. So, he knocked on the window pane and lifted part of the invisibility cloak that covered her head. Ginny turned at the sound of his knock and grinned when she saw Harry, undeterred at only seeing his floating head.

"Harry!" She said, pleasantly, "You're early!"

Harry nodded, then flew into her room and landed, dismounting his broom and taking off his invisibility cloak and stuffing it into his pocket. "I, uh, hope that's alright…?"

Why did he suddenly sound so awkward?

Ginny merely let out a short laugh and waved his concern out of the way. "It's actually perfect. I just finished getting ready for the night. It's really a good thing that you hadn't shown up ten minutes earlier!"

Ginny laughed outright at this, and Harry forced himself to chuckle – but it came out broken and sounded more like a cough than anything.

With lack of anything to say after that, Harry stuffed his hand into his pocket and grasped the chain to the Resurrection Stone, pulling it out to show her.

"Is that it?" Ginny asked, interest flashing in her eyes as she stepped closer to inspect it.

Harry nodded, feeling much more relaxed at moving on to much safer topics than Ginny in the shower or dwelling on the guilt he felt at accidentally becoming a Peeping Tom. "Are you ready to meet my parents?"

Lifting her eyes from the stone to meet his, Ginny nodded eagerly and stepped toward her four-poster bed. She sat down, at looked expectantly up at Harry.

Why was he so nervous, all of a sudden? This wasn't the first time he had visited the Girl's Dorms… or Ginny's bed.

But with a jolt, Harry realized why he was so nervous. He was introducing his  _family_ … to the  _girl of his dreams!_ Something was surely to go wrong…

Harry swallowed his nerves and stepped forward to the bed and sat down, cross-legged, on the downy mattress. Ginny closed the bed-hangings surrounding her bed, and set up a sticking and silencing charm on them. And then they were even more alone then they were before in the tight and enclosed space… but Harry knew that wouldn't last for long.

Before he held out his hand with the stone, Harry felt the need to clarify. "Ju-Just so you know, my dad and Sirius… when they are together, they can be a bit… much."

Ginny snorted. "You forget that I grew up with Fred and George…"

Harry couldn't help but smile at that. With brothers like Fred and George, Ginny was sure to be able to handle anything thrown at her. This reminder relaxed him immensely, and he placed the stone in his open palm and offered his hand to Ginny, who clasped his hand in her own…

His parents and Sirius were sitting in front of them, all wearing beaming grins as they appeared. Harry noticed that his mum's gaze immediately flitted to their clasped hands, and she smiled even larger – her eyes alight with happiness. It seemed that their fight was long forgotten by now.

"Ginny, you already know Sirius…" Harry gestured to his smirking Godfather.

Sirius winked at Ginny and said, "It's good to see you again, Squirt! Though… you aren't so little anymore, are you?"

Ginny gave a mocking glare at Sirius and jested back, "Yeah… I think that we both know that I grew enough for you to stop using that nickname for me…"

Harry, James and Lily all burst out in laughter at Ginny's little quip that put the infamous Sirius Black in his place. Sirius, himself, pretended to look affronted.

Lily shook her head in amusement as they all settled down, then smiled at Ginny with genuine affection in her eyes. "I think that you and I are going to get along great, Ginny."

Harry took this time to interject and introduce his parents. "Ginny, this is my mum, Lily Potter."

Ginny smiled, and Harry noticed with a bit of surprise that her eyes were glistening, as she reached out to shake his mum's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs Potter."

Before Lily could correct her, James interjected and said, "She's going to tell you to call her Lily. And before you go about calling me Mr Potter or some other nonsense, please call me James."

His dad reached out for Ginny's free hand, but instead of shaking it, James kissed the back of it. Causing Ginny to flush with a bit of scarlet.

James back away slightly, shot a keen look over at Sirius - who Harry noticed with mounting suspicion – winked discretely back at his father.

"So, Ginny," His dad started, trying to sound calm and casual. "Even dead, would you say that I am an attractive sort of bloke?"

Ginny and Harry's jaws dropped. Mounting horror built in the pit of Harry's stomach. His dad  _promised!_

"Well,  _er_ …" Ginny stuttered, and Harry was surprised to actually see her flustered for the first time in a long time.

"It's alright, Ginny," Sirius interjected, patting Ginny's knee in a consoling manner. And Harry was foolish enough to believe that his Godfather was going to try and maintain control of the situation. "Harry's father has an inflated ego…" His dad nodded with an exaggerated pout. "It's best if you just humour him and answer. Then his narcissistic disorder will go away for a bit of time."

The jibe didn't seem to bother his dad in the slightest, as they watched Ginny, seeing if she would actually answer. Harry prayed that she wouldn't, but of course, Harry couldn't even dream of being so lucky…

Ginny relaxed slightly at Sirius' reassurance and actually smirked slightly at the description he had used to describe his dad. "Well, then yes. I would say that even dead, you look rather dashing…"

James beamed, and pumped a fist into the air. "YES!" Then flashed a devious grin over a Sirius once again and continued on to say. "Well, if you think that I am _dashing, handsome, attractive, and lovable_ , just as you said, then you surely must think the same about Harry, here!"

Forget the fact that his dad was already dead. Harry was going to  _kill_  him!

_"DAD!"_ Harry exclaimed, his entire face and neck beet red. He didn't even dare to look over at Ginny to see her reaction.

"What?" James said, nonplussed at the eternal embarrassment he had just inflicted on his son. "I mean, she must think it, seeing as you can't deny that you look just like me. What do you think, Ginny? I can call you Ginny, can't I?"

"You don't have to answer that," Harry said to Ginny without looking at her.

_"Alright,_ James," His mum interjected, amusement creasing her own eyes. "You've had your fun…"

James immediately sobered as his wife put a stop to his fun. "Oh, alright… My apologies, Ginny. You see, it's a father's job to inflict a certain amount of embarrassment on his son, and I have sixteen years to catch up on. No hard feelings being the in the cross-fire? I swear that Harry here was my target."

Harry now braved a peek over at Ginny and saw that her face was almost as red as her hair, but she merely nodded in reply to his father's question.

Lily, sensing the awkward tension in the air, immediately set to take charge of the situation. Setting damage control. "So, Ginny. I would really like to know more about you. What's it like being a part of such a large family? James and I obviously don't know what it's like…"

Ginny, glad for the distraction, immediately latched on and told them all about her crazy family. She told story after story of hilarious disasters each member of her family found themselves in at one point in time. Including one where Fred and George were so peeved at Percy after he went through a growth spurt and wouldn't stop bragging about how tall he was. So, the twins took all of his beloved books and flew them to the roof of the burrow, without leaving any brooms for Percy to retrieve them. They began to mock him after that as they sat on the edge of the roof, saying something along the lines of, " _What's the matter, Percy? You're so_ _ **tall**_ _, why don't you just reach up and get the books yourself? With your height, it should be no trouble at all!"_

Harry, Sirius, and his dad laughed especially hard at that.

"I think I would very much like to meet these brothers of yours." His dad commented after they had calmed down.

Harry grinned at his father, the embarrassing episode now forgotten after all of Ginny's stories. "They would love to meet you! Did you know that the Marauders are their idols? They were actually the ones that gave me the Marauders Map!"

His father seemed mighty pleased at being the idol to two formidable prankers, much to his mum's annoyance and dismay.

It was a while later, as they were sharing more and more stories when it was starting to get a bit late and they were settling down a bit. When Ginny's expression became thoughtful, as she looked at all three of Harry's dead family in front of her.

"What is it, Gin?" Harry immediately asked, shaking Ginny out of her thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh, it was nothing, really…" Ginny said as she tucked some stray strands of hair behind her ear. "It-It's just that when I was young, and my mum and dad read me the tale of the Deathly Hallows in 'The Tales of Beetle the Bard', I always wondered why it was they called it the Resurrection Stone when it didn't actually bring anyone back to life… I mean, why call it a Resurrection Stone if it doesn't actually resurrect anyone…?"

She trailed off at the looks of surprise everyone was giving her. And suddenly, Lily was grasping her free hand in both of hers eagerly.

"Ginny." Lily breathed, dawning awe and realization in her voice. "You're a genius!"

Ginny seemed rather shocked by this. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you see?!" Lily exclaimed, excitement growing in her voice and features. "The brother asked Death for something to bring people back from the dead! And Death called it a Resurrection Stone! Why would Death call it a Resurrection Stone, if it didn't actually resurrect people from the dead?!"

Catching on, James, Sirius, and especially Harry seemed to see the importance of this revelation.

"You-You don't mean…?" Harry couldn't finish his question, afraid that his assumptions would prove to be false.

Lily shared a look with his father, before turning her eyes to him, looking Harry right in the eye. "I think that there might be a way to bring us back from the dead."

.

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	28. Chapter 28

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Chapter Twenty-Eight

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The course of the following month sped by fast for Harry.

It all went back to the night Harry had introduced Ginny to his parents. After Ginny's idea of the Resurrection Stone actually resurrecting the dead, they had stayed up quite late to brainstorm ideas. Before they decided that there wasn't much they could do or learn without some heavy research and an extensive library. Which Harry knew that Hermione would be more than happy to help them research more into the Resurrection Stone… and specifically how they could use it to bring back the dead.

They decided to call it a night after they made plans to sneak into the Restricted Section in the library the next night. But as Harry started to settle into Ginny's pillow, his mum had outright  _refused_  him to spend the night in the Girls' Dormitories… Harry had pouted at that, but respected his mother's wishes, seeing as he didn't want to start another argument with her. So, it was with a heavy heart, Harry left on his broomstick and flew into the cold night to his empty bed... when all he really wanted to do was cuddle up to Ginny and sleep next to her warm body.

If his mum only knew of the  _other times_  Harry had slept over in the Girls' Dormitory… or rather, in Ginny's bed.

It was later on when his dad and Sirius congratulated him on his ingenious way of getting into the Girls' Dormitories without getting caught, they both even expressed how they wished they had thought of it back when they were students in Hogwarts.

Hermione had been absolutely delighted in helping them research the stone, just as Harry thought, and spent most of her spare time in the library – looking for books and their take on the Resurrection Stone or books on bringing back the dead in general. All resulting with no luck…

Every other moment of Hermione's spare time was spent with Harry and Ron, as Harry was keeping the promise he had made himself by trying to teach Hermione the art of the wizarding duel. And his parent's and Sirius had been right when they had presumed that Hermione would be a right terrible duelist. Harry was quite glad that they had said something about it, seeing as Harry didn't want anything to happen to his sister… especially something that could be easily preventable, such as learning to duel.

Her problem mostly stemmed from the fact that she wasn't quick enough with her wand movements, and she was slow to dodge any curses Harry sent her way. But as the days passed, she was slowly starting to improve.

Harry had also suggested to Ron that he should teach Hermione how to properly fly a broom, something that Ron was only eager to teach her. Harry would have taught Hermione how to fly, himself, but decided that this would boost Ron's ego a bit and also may speed up whatever the two had going on between them.

Ron, himself, needed lessons on learning some new variety of spells. There were only a token few that Ron relied on, and predictability could get him killed. Seeing as Harry was too busy with his own schedule, he had Hermione be the one to set out and teach him a new spell each week.

It was during the beginning of the third week of the school year; did Harry decide to hold the Quidditch tryouts for the Gryffindor team. And much to Harry's surprise,  _Dean Thomas_  showed up to try out!

Harry couldn't believe the  _nerve_  of the bloke! Trying out for Harry's  _own team_  that  _he_  was captaining! But, deciding to be the better person and to just ignore him, Harry continued on with the try-outs.

Try-outs were an all-together disaster. Many first-years showed up to try-out, even though they didn't even know how to fly - resulting in many flying-related injuries. It got so bad to the point where Harry just sent the lot of first-years away after the ninth accident. Which resulted in more complaints and tears.

Even some students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff came to try-out for the Gryffindor team... which Harry didn't even know was allowable.

But this also included Romilda Vane and some of her friends from Ravenclaw, who also came to try-out. But they were right  _awful_  on a broom, seeing as they would giggle outrageously every time Harry blew his whistle. This went on until finally Harry was fed up enough to send anyone that wasn't in Gryffindor away.

Needless to say, tryouts weren't going exactly as he had planned. And he found his mood plummeting more and more as time went on.

The only good thing to happen was that Ron seemed to be an excellent keeper. Better than Harry originally thought. And his irritation lifted somewhat when he caught Hermione cheating by using a Confundus Charm on Cormac McLaggen, causing him to miss blocking the goal made against him.

It was during the middle of Harry trying out potential beaters when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye…

Down on the field, Dean stood talking to Ginny with a wide grin on his face. But that wasn't what really set Harry off…  _oh no_ , it was the fact that Ginny was outright  _laughing_  at whatever it was that he was saying.

Burning, green  _jealousy_  flared at the bottom of his stomach, making him feel like he was going to be sick…

Harry then quickly called for the chasers to try-out, as that was the position that Dean was trying for. Just so Harry could stop Dean from talking to Ginny.

Dean mounted his broom and waved excitedly at Ginny, before floating up into the air. But what perplexed Harry further was the scowl the overcame Ginny's face as soon as Dean left. And Harry was left to wonder if Ginny was just irritated that Dean left her on the ground and that their conversation was cut short…

This behaviour continued on for days, leaving Harry reeling with both jealousy and confusion. It was either Ginny was overtly happy to be spending time with Dean, or was annoyed whenever he left… It was really no wonder, when Harry went to post the results for his new Quidditch team, that Dean wasn't on it. Harry likened himself to think it was because Dean wasn't a good enough Quidditch player, but that was a lie. So, he told himself something easier to believe, which was that he didn't trust Dean, and he couldn't have any teammates that he couldn't trust.

The negative side-effect of that decision though, was that Dean had seemed upset at the tryout results, and it was  _Ginny_  who had decided to comfort him...

Harry thought that he was about to go  _bloody mad_  if he saw Ginny with Dean,  _one more time_! He had to resist the urge to hex that  _stupid grin_  off of Dean's face whenever he was with Ginny! And there was more than one time where Dean would look at Harry over Ginny's shoulder and  _smirk_.

It made Harry's blood boil.

And it all didn't make any sense, until days later, Ginny came into the Great Hall one day with a mischievous grin on her face and took the seat next to Harry.

"Just wait until you see what happens next!" Ginny whispered excitedly to Harry, anticipation thick in her voice. Then, for some odd reason, Ginny put a  _notice-me-not_  spell on herself. Leaving Harry to wonder what it was that was about to happen…

Suddenly, he felt her hand gripping his jaw and directing his face until his eyesight was on the Slytherin table. And right before her eyes, Harry saw Draco Malfoy, who was sitting alone, drink from his goblet, and turn into  _Ginny Weasley_!

" _It took me a long while to figure out how to get rid of the terrible taste of polyjuice potion_ …" Ginny whispered next to him.

Harry watched with wide eyes as Draco - unknowingly disguised as Ginny - finished the last bit of his dinner and stood from the Slytherin table, making his way to the Great Hall exit… But before he could leave without being interrupted, Dean walked in – holding a folded-up letter in his hand.

Dean's expression could only be described as pure happiness, as he rushed into the Great Hall, his eyes immediately searching. Until they landed on Draco, who still looked like Ginny under polyjuice potion. Dean beamed at Draco and strode right over to him.

"I want to be with you, too, baby!" Dean exclaimed, before grabbing Draco and smashed their lips together.

Harry's. Jaw.  _Dropped_.

At his side, he vaguely heard Ginny snicker beside him and cast a spell that cancelled the effects of the polyjuice on Draco.

Draco, who now looked like himself, was struggling against Dean's mouth. But Dean wasn't letting him go, as he aggressively attacked his mouth with his own.

Almost instantly, students started to react to the two boys kissing at the back of the Great Hall room - which wasn't so much surprising as it was Dean Thomas, a Gryffindor  _Muggleborn_  kissing Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin who  _hates_  Muggleborns. Gasps and exclamations could be heard all around the students.

This seemed to catch Dean's attention, as he pulled back slightly and opened his eyes… to see that it wasn't  _Ginny_  who he had been kissing… but  _Draco Malfoy_.

Draco looked positively  _furious_. And looked about ready to grab for his wand, and Harry knew that he would've... if not for all the professors in the room. "We'll settle this later, you  _fucking Mudblood_!" Draco hissed, before storming out of the hall.

Gossip instantly filled the entire hall as Draco left, and the confusion on Dean's face quickly turned into mortification as he ran from the hall, as well.

Harry turned to look over at Ginny, who had cancelled the charm on herself and noticed that she looked entirely satisfied with herself. "That turned out better than I thought." Ginny laughed. "Revenge is so  _sweet_ …"

Then she seemed to notice Harry's questioning gaze, and she went on to explain everything. How Dean was going to break up with her on the train but didn't. How he had only taken the Angerall potion after he had given Harry his concussion – both of which served to really anger Harry - and how she found out about Dean interrupting Harry in his shower…

Then Ginny went on to explain her plan to make Dean pay for all that he had done. She had started her path to revenge by trying to make Dean think that she genuinely wanted to get back together with him – which took a bit of time in order to make it believable. Ginny spent some time telling Harry how awful it was pretending to like spending time with Dean, which pleased Harry as it gave him clarity on Ginny's strange behaviour. Then she went on about how she did some light research on polyjuice potion and how she had asked Dobby to put it into Draco's goblet. And then, finally, how she wrote a fake love letter to Dean, telling him how she wanted to get back together with him and how she wanted nothing more than to kiss him the first moment she saw him.

Harry could finally see the humour behind the prank now, and laughed as he also felt the relief that Ginny actually wasn't friendly with Dean again, after all… And was also left in awe and fear of her ability to give out the  _perfect revenge_.

After that, things went back to normal, for the most part.

Harry had taken to spying on Malfoy… who seemed to be spending a lot of time in the Room of Requirement. Harry would often look at the Mauraders Map to see when Draco's name would reappear as he left the room. Ron and Hermione had told him that he was becoming obsessed and that he should focus on more important things… like finding a way to resurrect his parents.

But Harry couldn't just let it go… he swore that Draco has become a Death Eater and that he was up to something, which would result to no good. So, he no longer bothered Ron and Hermione with the details, and instead confided in Ginny whenever she asked for an update on Draco's doings. She made him feel like wasn't crazy about his suspicions, and actually offered advice.

Harry continued on with the D.A. and it was still as crowded as the first time, considering how forgiving the students were after their detentions from Snape were revoked. Harry could see genuine improvement in a lot of his students, though no one had yet stepped up to challenge him to a duel. But Harry figured that he would see more challenges by the end of the year.

Harry started his private lessons with Dumbledore, where Dumbledore started showing him the life of Tom Riddle through the pensive. But one memory showed to him was distorted, and Dumbledore explained that it was because the memory had been tampered with.

 

Which brought Harry to Friday, October the eleventh, the day before their first Quidditch match against Slytherin.

He was currently walking down to the pitch, with Ron and Ginny on either side of him, while the rest of his team planned to meet them down there. Both Ron and Harry had their brooms propped over their shoulders, while Ginny kept her broom locked down by the pitch.

The day was so perfect, the wind was calm and the sky only had minimal cloud cover, that Harry thought it a great day for some practice before their first match of the year.

As they walked, Ron was telling them all about how Hermione's confidence on a broom was really improving. He seemed so proud of all that she had accomplished, that Ron didn't notice the look that Harry and Ginny shared.

Ginny leaned in close to whisper into Harry's ear, _"They spent all this time alone together, and neither one of them has made a move yet?"_

Harry shook his head and shrugged his shoulders at her, completely at a loss of why two people who fancied each other weren't a couple, yet...

It was a couple weeks earlier where Ron had finally managed to convince Lavender Brown that they were no longer a couple. Lavender had been greatly upset and Ron had taken to going out of his way to avoid her - seeing as she would start sniffling excessively whenever he was around.

But it perplexed Harry to no end why Ron hadn't yet made his move on Hermione! But he decided that it wasn't his place to push either of them together more than he already has… It was now up to them whether they wanted to be together or not. Harry hadn't the time to be overly concerned about it when he could spend his time focusing on resurrecting his parents, the D.A., Dumbledore's lessons… and, of course,  _Ginny_ …

His  _Ginger Firecracker_ …

Sure, she wasn't necessarily  _his_ , but he still liked to think of her in that way. That she was his, and that he was wholeheartedly hers.

_"Harry!"_

The calling of his name snapped him out of his wishful thinking, and he looked up to find Katie Bell running up from the pitch towards them; her face flushed and her breath heavy as she ran at a heavy pace.

Bewildered, Harry waited until she caught up to them before he finally addressed her. "What is it, Katie? I thought that we were going to be meeting on the pitch like we agreed and-"

Katie bent over and rested her hands on her knees, as she fought to catch her breath from her exerting run from the pitch. "We-We were waiting, and-and then, the Slytherins came and took over the pitch!"

_"WHAT?!"_ Harry bellowed, immediately outraged, before taking his broom off of his shoulder and grabbing Ginny – mounting her on his broom behind him.

Then he shot into the air, only a second after Ginny latched her arms around his waist to hold on. And as he was launching through the sky, he distantly heard Katie groan out loud, complaining, "Why didn't  _I_  think about flying my broom instead of running?!"

It only took a moment before Harry found himself landing in the middle of the Quidditch field. The Slytherin Quidditch team was flying through the air, practising with a quaffle while trying to dodge bludgers. He dismounted his broom quickly, Ginny hopped off right behind him, and his precious broom fell to the ground – forgotten momentarily in Harry's mounting irritation.

Harry eye's search the air and was surprised to see Malfoy flying lazily as seeker – practising dives, twists, and turns. Harry had heard a rumour that Malfoy had paid Harper to take over as seeker, hearing that Draco had lost interest in Quidditch. And Harry theorized that the real reason was because Draco was far too  _busy_  with his  _Death Eater_  activities… bidding to his master's every whim.

But it seemed that those rumours had proved to be false, and the new information didn't deter Harry from his outrage for very long.

_"MALFOY!"_ Harry yelled, and Draco – who had been attempting a complicated twist through the air – stopped mid-twist and turned his attention to the ground. He grinned a beguiling smile when he saw that it was Harry and that Draco had managed to piss him off.

Draco clutched at his broom handle and turned it so it was directed towards the ground, his Slytherin teammates following him. He landed ten feet away from Harry and Ginny, stepping closer until he was a mere two feet away. The rest of the Slytherins hovering just behind, showing their support for Draco with ugly sneers, just as the Gryffindors rallied behind Harry.

Harry didn't even wait to exchange sneers with his mortal enemy. "We reserved the pitch for practice today, Malfoy. You have  _no right_  being here!"

Draco ran a hand through his silvery, blond hair, unconcerned, resting his weight on his broom. Then he did something that made Harry's blood  _boil_  more than it already was… he had the  _audacity_  to  _wink_  at Ginny!

"Hello,  _Weasley_ …" He said in a disgustingly seductive voice. "Fancy seeing you here."

He heard Ginny scoff in disgust beside him and Harry growled warningly, _"Malfoy…"_

Draco rolled his eyes and sneered as his attention was once again directed at Harry. Vaguely, out of the corner of his awareness, Harry noticed Ron flying up to the group on the side, Katie propped up behind him. "If you must know, Potter, Professor Snape overruled your reservation for the pitch, seeing as I just rejoined the team and I need the practice."

"He can't do that!" Ron bellowed as he stomped over to stand on Harry's other side.

Draco shot an annoyed look over at Ron as if wondering why Ron deemed himself important enough to speak during this encounter.

"So, you did quit the team," Harry clarified, out loud. "I figured as much, seeing as you have been so busy with your  _extracurricular activities_." Harry spat, intentionally referring to Draco's long visits to the Room of Requirement. "But consider me curious. What made you rejoin the team?"

Draco smirked once again and replied, "Oh, I have my reasons…" He said this as he leered at Ginny.

Harry's hand immediately snapped to his wand, which was tucked away into his Quidditch robe's pocket. But Ginny snapped forward and held his arm, so he couldn't make a grab for it.

"It's not worth it, Harry." Ginny tried to reason. "He's trying to goad you into a fight so you will be banned from playing tomorrow."

Draco's expression became victorious as Harry realized that what Ginny was say was true. And the team couldn't afford anyone barred from playing in the match tomorrow. But it still didn't mean that Harry wasn't disappointed that he couldn't hex the ugly smile off of Malfoy's face.

Seeing that Harry was no longer geared up to fight, Ginny turned her fiercest glare towards Draco.

"Besides… it's not as though we  _need_  the extra practice." Ginny reasoned with an edge to her tone, taking her turn into goading the Slytherins now. "You can practice all that you want, but you still won't beat us tomorrow."

Harry felt a prideful grin twitch at the corners of his lips at her words. Now, more than ever, it made him proud to have the brilliant, stunning witch standing by  _his_  side.

A perfectly arched eyebrow raised on Draco's face. "Oh,  _really_ …?" He drawled in a sarcastic tone, and the rest of the Slytherins snickered behind him. "If you are really so confident, Weasley, why don't we up the stakes and make things a bit more interesting?"

Harry couldn't help it, he felt his interest piqued. "What sort of stakes are you talking about, Malfoy?"

Draco smiled deviously, as the bait he had set worked. "Well, we would get something if we win, and you would get something if you win – not that there is any chance of  _that_  happening with the team you've put together…"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Name your terms, then… if you are so confident,  _Malfoy_." Harry mockingly mimicked Draco's own words back to him.

Draco shot lustful eyes over to Ginny. "If we win, then Ginevra must spend an  _entire day_  in Hogsmeade with me."

The Slytherins all wolf-whistled, while the corners of Harry's vision started turning red. There was no way in  _HELL_  that was happening! Ginny was no  _bargaining chip!_ And no matter how much confidence Harry had in them winning the match, he couldn't help but wonder if they lost… Ginny would have to spend an entire Hogsmeade trip with a  _DEATH EATER!_ It was too much of a risk. He absolutely wouldn't allow it!

But as Harry was about to open his mouth to outright refuse Malfoy's terms, Ginny spoke up beside him.

"Deal,  _Malfoy_." Harry's jaw dropped and he whipped his head over to gape at Ginny, who seemed to be staring a hole in Draco with the fierce intensity she was looking at him with.

Draco laughed outright. "Eager to spend time alone with me, are you, Weasley?"

But Ginny didn't reply to his comment, and instead smirked, before she replied with their own terms. "But if Gryffindor wins, then you have to play every match for the rest of the year, in dress robes."

Draco seemed surprised. "That's it? That doesn't seem too terrible. In fact, I would say that it was rather mild coming from yo-"

_"Women's_  dress robes." Ginny clarified, with a devious smirk of her own. Which would have turned Harry on, if he wasn't so distressed over the situation. "And they must be rather  _revealing_ , Draco. Can't have you wearing anything prudish like something my Aunt Muriel would wear…"

"Oh! And you have to go all out!" Katie piped in, inputting her own ideas into the bet. "Which means stuffed bra, make-up, hair, the works!"

This had the entire Gryffindor team snickering as they each designed their own pictures of what Draco would look like as a witch in their own minds. The mood of all of the Gryffindors lightened after Ginny named their terms… all expect Harry, that is, who felt an uncomfortable tightening in his stomach.

Ginny and Katie's clarification seemed to sober Draco, but he still seemed rather confident as he looked over Harry's team. It was clear that Malfoy underestimated some of Harry's picks of beaters, and his sneering gaze seemed to linger the longest on Ron – as if he thought that Ron couldn't possibly be a good Keeper, and was only on the team because he was Harry's best mate.

"You've got yourself a deal, Weasley." Draco held out his hand in offering to her, but Ginny frowned at it.

"I don't trust your word, Malfoy." Ginny sneered, her nose wrinkling adorably. "No deal unless we partake in a Wizarding Vow…"

Everyone gasped, including the Slytherins. Malfoy, himself, stared at Ginny in shock. "That seems a bit extreme, doesn't it?"

Harry had read about all the different magical vows two wizards could partake in. There was the Unbreakable Vow, which resulted in death if the deal was broken. But a Wizarding Vow, though milder than the Unbreakable Vow, still resulted in some dire consequences. With the Wizarding Vow, if one side was broken, then that witch or wizard would lose their ability to do magic. And while the Unbreakable Vow had to be made with a third party casting the spell; the Wizarding Vow came about by drinking a potion, then making the vow by crossing wands.

"Not at all," Ginny replied, confident. "That is, unless you were planning on breaking your end of the bargain… then, I suppose it would be considered extreme."

Draco frowned, contemplating for a moment, before responding. "We'll take the vow tomorrow morning. Before breakfast in the potions classroom, so no Professors will see."

Ginny gave him a firm nod. "Deal."

With that, the Gryffindor team took their leave, seeing as they no longer had any claim to the field because of Snape's bias. But most of the Gryffindors were in high spirits as they left the pitch, the thrill of higher stakes riding on the game tomorrow left them feeling excited.

But not Harry. The nervous clenching in his stomach didn't ease any less as they walked away. Even Ron didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that his sister may have to spend an entire day with Draco Malfoy! In fact, he was as excited as the rest of them and ran ahead to tell everyone in the common room about the bet. Leaving Harry to walk alone with Ginny back to the castle.

They walked in silence, as Harry waited for the others to get far enough ahead before he decided to speak.

"Ginny," Harry said, quietly, for some reason feeling very vulnerable and exposed. "Please, don't take the bet…"

Ginny turned bewildered eyes on Harry and actually stopped her walking entirely. Harry paused beside her. "And why not?" Ginny asked, her face perplexed as she studied Harry with her beautiful, brown eyes. "Don't you see? It's perfect! It's either Draco has to dress up as a witch for the rest of the Quidditch games this year, or he loses his magic. And as much as I doubt he would give up his magic just to get out of a bet, but wouldn't it be hilarious if he did?! Draco wouldn't be much use to Voldemort if he became a Squib!"

Ginny started to laugh at the idea, but her laughter quickly died down when Harry didn't join her. And concern flitted across her face at how worried Harry looked.

"But  _Gin_ ," Harry stressed. "What if we lose? You'd have to spend the entire day with a  _Death Eater!_ What if something bad happened?! What if he put the moves on you, or decided to attack you? You wouldn't be able to run away from him until the end of the day, otherwise, you would lose your magic!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and scoffed, then she started walking once again towards the castle. "You really don't think that we will lose, do you?"

Harry jogged to catch up to her, grabbing her arm and stopping her again. "Of course not, but things have been known to happen, Gin. Plus, the Slytherins like to cheat during games, and with more riding on the match, they will be tempted to cheat more than usual!"

Ginny tugged her arm away and continued with a rough stride up the walkway. "They can cheat as much as they want, Harry. We are still going to win." Harry ran to catch up with her again. "Besides, if we happen to lose, I can take care of myself just fine when it comes to Draco. Now, can we drop it and talk about something else?"

And Harry did drop the subject, though the sick feeling and his concerns didn't leave him. But he couldn't say anything more on the matter… he could tell that Ginny was getting rather annoyed at him just for bringing it up, and he didn't want to have a row with her.

It was later at night when Harry climbed in for bed, where he rationalized that he would have to do everything in his power to catch the snitch… and as quickly as possible too. Because Harry wasn't about to have the girl that he loved spend an entire day with Draco Malfoy.

But… but if it happened to come to that… if they lost the match, then Harry knew that without a doubt, he would be spending the next Hogsmeade visit underneath his invisibility cloak – following Ginny and Malfoy around. Just to make sure that Ginny was safe.

And with that thought, Harry fell into an unfit and uneasy sleep…

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_A/N: Please leave a review. And if you want to contact me and get a response in return to any questions you may have, send me a PM._


	29. Chapter 29

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Chapter Twenty-Nine

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Harry lay awake in bed. Had been since the crack of dawn. He had a mere six hours of terrible sleep, tossing and turning in his bed. His mind busy and his body unable to get comfortable.

He didn't think that he has ever been this nervous for a Quidditch match since his very first in his first year. He literally felt sick from the nerves roiling around in his stomach. The tightening in his chest felt so constricting, that he almost felt claustrophobic.

One thought kept rolling around in his head over and over again…  _Got to get that snitch. Got to get that snitch._ _ **Got. To. Get. That. Snitch**_ ….

The mantra was going through his head even now, as he dressed himself in his scarlet red, Quidditch robes. The only thing that made it seem better to Harry was that the excitement Ron felt by the bet yesterday has seemed to wear off, and he looked just as nervous as Harry felt. Which meant that Harry wasn't alone in his nerves.

When the two were finally dressed and had their brooms in tow, they immediately made their way to the Potions classroom. Harry was paranoid that Malfoy would try something as he and Ginny set the Wizarding Vow, and he wanted to be there to put a stop to any potential funny business. Ron had called him out on his paranoia but immediately kept quiet after Harry nearly chewed his head off.

Once they made it to the Potions classroom, Harry and Ron entered, only to find all of the Slytherin team, as well as most of the Gryffindor team already waiting – both dwelling on the far opposite ends of the room, pointedly ignoring the other house's presence until they were forced to acknowledge.

Harry's eyes immediately set to search around the room, and he noticed a vitally important person missing.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked the group at large, still standing in the open doorway.

Draco, who was casually leaning against a desk chose to speak up with a smirk. "Perhaps she decided to forfeit because she wanted to skip all of the drama and go out to Hogsmeade with me, anyway."

Harry was almost grateful when his irritation for Draco overpowered his nerves. "Pretty pathetic that you have to rely on winning a bet, in order to get a date, Malfoy."

The Gryffindors all laughed and some cheered with a holler. And Harry watched with satisfaction as that irritating smirk was wiped clean off of the ferret's face.

"Ginny's just down in the kitchens getting some blueberry muffins from Dobby," Katie informed Harry, and he felt a warmth spread in his chest as he was reminded of blueberry muffins and how he had given Ginny some the night she broke up with Dean. Some irrational part of him wanted to think that she specifically chose that pastry because it reminded her of Harry... but he knew that wasn't the case. "She said something about how the Wizarding Vow could wait, but her stomach couldn't…"

This information almost caused Harry to smile. It was typical of Ginny that she would be more concerned about her stomach than making a vow where she could potentially lose her magic. And he actually did smile as the memory of Harry showing Ginny the kitchens for the first time came to mind. She had been so enthusiastic, that she wouldn't stop thanking him profusely for a whole three days. She also expressed how she wished that she had known about it years earlier.

"Quite the crowd, don't you think?" The voice of the very witch he had been thinking of, spoke up from behind him. Harry turned to see Ginny, looking quite relaxed as she chewed on a blueberry muffin. She also had a bag of muffins with her, and Harry wondered if she brought some for the whole team. "I mean, it's just a silly bet..."

Harry frowned at the mention of the bet. "It's not silly, Gin." Harry looked away from her with a shake of his head and crossed his arms. "I don't like it..."

His eyes peaked over at her once again, to see that she now had a frown of her own and a pucker on her brow. Ginny opened her mouth to reply when the others in the room seemed to finally notice her presence.

"Ah,  _Weasley_." Draco drawled in his snooty tone. "Decided to show up after all, did you? Thought you might've wanted to just skip the bet. Afraid that your team would lose?"

Ginny's eyes flashed as she looked over to Draco. "I'm not afraid in the least," Ginny reassured, exuding with overbearing confidence. "In fact, I was so unconcerned about it, that it didn't even occur to me to show up  _early_."

Ginny then raised an eyebrow and said in a sickly-sweet tone, "Anxious, Malfoy? Because you should be."

Draco frowned then pushed off the desk he was leaning on. "Let's just get on with the vow, shall we?" Draco grumbled.

Ginny smirked winningly over at Harry for her small victory against Malfoy, a smile that he didn't return as he was still anxious over the entire situation Ginny had found herself in. Ginny's smile dropped when she saw Harry's sombre mood, but moved forward towards Draco anyways.

Katie Bell, who had broken into Slughorn's potions supply, came out of the room with the potion in hand. A Slytherin player followed her out with two goblets, as it seemed neither trusted the other to not tamper with the potion, so they both went and got the supply.

The goblets were filled with potion and both Draco and Ginny took one into their hands.

Draco had just been about to drink, but Ginny stopped him.

"I want to add another rule before we take the vow," Ginny said, her voice insistent, demanding no argument.

Ron shivered beside Harry, and Harry shot a questioning look over at his best mate. " _Sometimes it's scary how much she reminds me of mum_..." Ron clarified in a whisper. But Harry couldn't help but disagree. Mrs Weasley was much more nurturing in her ferocity, while Ginny was just downright  _sexy_. But Harry supposed that Ron wouldn't see it that way, and he was mighty glad for it.

"No cheating during the match," Ginny stated. "If any one of your team members deliberately sets out to cheat, you automatically lose the bet. Same thing goes for Gryffindor."

Draco frowned at this, while Harry looked at Ginny with genuine surprise. With that idea on the table, the constriction in his chest lightened measurably. She was  _bloody brilliant_ , she was! To add the banning of cheating as part of the bet, made Harry feel marginally better about the whole ordeal. They had a better chance at winning if the Slytherins couldn't be up to their dirty, old tricks.

Draco hadn't said anything and Ginny gave him a long, hard stare. "I'm not taking the vow if you don't agree... the winning team will just have to win by pure talent, alone."

Draco let out a frustrated sigh and let out a gruff, " _Fine_!"

Ginny nodded and together, they both drank the potion at the same time.

...

Ron, Katie and the rest of the team ran forward to the pitch, each of them chewing on their own blueberry muffins that Ginny had brought them. Harry had even mustered up enough of an appetite to eat one as well, knowing that he had to eat in order to be alert during the match.

Harry and Ginny lingered behind the others... walking leisurely down the pathway.

As they walked, Ginny bumped elbows with him. "Harry?"

Harry, who hadn't said a word since before the vow was taken, looked up in question.

Ginny fidgeted and nervously gnawed at her bottom lip with her teeth. "I'm sorry for snapping at you yesterday. You-You actually had some valid points, but I guess my pride kept me from actually listening to them..." Ginny swallowed and licked her lips nervously. "I hope that you feel better about winning now that the Slytherins can't cheat."

Harry smiled slightly at her and bumped his elbow back against hers. "Yes, very much so. Thanks for that. And I know that you didn't mean to snap at me, so there is really nothing to forgive."

Ginny relaxed and grinned widely at him. "What do you say to a friendly bet between the two of us?"

His interest was definitely piqued with that inquiry. What could she possibly want from him to want to set up a bet? Hopefully not something terribly embarrassing like she bet with Malfoy... But as Harry thought about it, he wondered what  _he_  would want if he won a bet against Ginny? With a sudden start, Harry realized that he could ask for a  _kiss_  if he won! His heart started to pound in his ears, just at the thought. Did he have enough nerve to name a kiss as his term, though?

"Wh-what did you have in mind?" Harry stuttered, suddenly nervous.

Ginny's face turned thoughtful as she tapped her chin with her finger before it lightened with an idea. "If you don't catch the snitch within the first thirty minutes of the game, then I win, but if you do catch the snitch before the thirty-minute mark, then you win."

"What are your terms, then?" Harry asked.

"Hmmm..." Ginny hummed out loud. "If I win, then you have to go to Hogsmeade and try to acquire some Firewisky for the victory party tonight."

Harry almost had to laugh at her confidence in the fact that there actually  _would_  be a victory party tonight in Gryffindor. But as Harry thought of it, it would probably be simple enough for him to get the Firewisky. He would just have to ask his dad and Sirius how they did it back when they were students in Hogwarts.

"Alright," Harry said, then worried his bottom lip nervously as he thought about what he wanted his own terms to be. "Then if I win, you have to spend an entire Hogsmeade trip with me. Just to get the horrible idea of spending it with  _Malfoy_  out of your head."

Ginny laughed, then stopped and turned to him, outstretching her hand to him in offering. "Deal!"

Harry smirked before taking her hand in his and shaking it, sealing the deal. "What? No Wizarding Vow for our own bet?" Harry jested, letting go of her hand as they continued walking. Even though he  _never_  wanted to let go...

Ginny snickered. "I trust  _your_  word..." Then a devious look overcame her features. "Besides, I have other ways of making you comply if you don't hold your end of the bargain."

Harry swallowed as he thought of the implications, before chuckling nervously. "I have no doubt that you do, Gin."

Knowing full well that if Ginny Weasley asked him for the moon, he would research  _any_  magical possibility in order to give it to her.

...

" _And there goes all of the players, lifting off of the ground. Oh my, the way that Ron Weasley shot up in the air, reminds me of this time I saw a Jellykringle leap out of the water in the same manner. They are really fascinating creatures, and_ -"

" _Miss_ _ **Lovegood**_..." Professor McGonnagal interrupted with a warning tone.

Harry was trying his hardest not to laugh at Luna's commentary. It certainly made him feel better about the fact that he had just been forced to cordially shake Draco's hand before they could start the match. He could unashamedly admit that when they shook hands, he may have squeezed Malfoy's a little  _too_  hard…

Madame Hootch flew forward on her broom, the quaffle in hand, and came in between both of the teams.

"Now, I want this to be a fair game..." She said, warningly, and mostly to the Slytherins. Little did she know, that the Slytherins weren't able to cheat for this game... Then, with her wand to her throat, amplifying her voice, she stated, " _Release the snitch_!"

Harry watched as the snitch was released from its restraints before promptly flying off at a high speed and disappearing. After the snitch was released, Madam Hootch did the same for the bludgers and then threw the quaffle into the air, effectively starting the game.

Harry immediately set about his task of finding the snitch. There would be no distractions for him this time around. He was downright determined to find it as fast as he could. As he had not only one bet riding on it, but two...

And though it wouldn't be the end of the world if he lost his bet with Ginny, Harry desperately wanted that date to Hogsmeade with her... even if she didn't know that it was a date...  _yet_.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Draco trailing a short distance behind him... obviously counting on Harry finding the snitch for him, while Draco would try to get to it before Harry once he did.

Harry almost snorted at the stupidity of Draco. That method has never worked for Malfoy in the past, and Harry couldn't understand why he kept doing it.

"... _and that cloud sort of looks like a Flying Trappadore and - oh, Ginny Weasley scores for Gryffindor_!" Luna commentated.

Harry grinned and cheered alongside the rest of the school, minus the Slytherins. It was clear that both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff wanted Gryffindor to win this match.

"One goal won't stop Slytherin from winning this match, Potter, nor will it stop Weasley from spending some  _quality time_  with me…" Draco drawled snidely from his short, hovering distance behind Harry.

"Quality time with  _Weasley_ , huh?" Harry shot back over his shoulder, his eyes still searching for the snitch. "Didn't know that you felt that way about Ron, Malfoy. I'm sure that he'll puke once I tell him…"

Was that a flick of gold he saw in the Hufflepuff stands? Harry narrowed his eyes to inspect further, but saw that it was only a Hufflepuff girl's golden hair clip… His eyes flitted away, still searching for any sign of gold.

"Think you're clever, don't you, Potter?" Draco spat. Harry couldn't believe how distracted Draco actually was. Or was Malfoy really only counting on Harry finding the snitch for him? "You won't be so clever when I steal Ginevra right out from  _under your nose_."

"Ginny is not a possession that you can steal, Malfoy. And it shows you how well you actually know her… she  _hates_  being called Ginevra."

"My father says that any sort of nickname gives a person less respect than they actually deserve."

"Did your father give you that advice from Azkaban?" He was really getting tired of Malfoy following him and speaking at him. There was only one way to find out whether Draco was only following Harry around for the snitch…

Harry suddenly pretended that he saw something on the far end of the field, by making his head perk up. Suddenly, Harry dived out of the air. Many students started to cheer when they saw Harry dive, and Harry could distantly hear Malfoy curse as he gave chase behind Harry.

Harry wished that he was actually chasing the real snitch rather than a made-up one. He had such a head start on Draco, there would be no doubt that he would have gotten the snitch if it were a real chase.

When Harry got to a mere five feet above the ground, he suddenly pulled up on his broomstick, jerking it with all of his strength to keep from crashing into the ground.

Malfoy didn't anticipate this, however, and was just barely able to turn his broom sideways so he didn't hit the ground straight on. Draco's broom bounced on the ground a couple of times before he toppled off and tumbled to the floor.

Harry spared a moment to check Draco's condition and noted that Malfoy merely looked a bit scraped up. Shame.

"I guess you'll think better next time than to follow me,  _Malfoy_." Harry taunted, before flying high up into the air again.

Draco didn't trail him after that...

Floating in the middle of the pitch, Harry's eyes now surveyed the surrounding area. Slytherin had scored five goals, and Gryffindor had seven goals altogether - four of them scored by Ginny. They were in the lead, for now, but it was too close a game for Harry's liking, and he was  _itching_  to find the snitch to just  _end it_.

Suddenly, a flash of gold caught his eye over by the Gryffindor goal posts that Ron was guarding.

_It was the snitch!_

Harry didn't even bother to check and see if Draco or anyone else had seen it, yet. He shot forward in his Firebolt, levelling himself flat against his broomstick, and shot in the direction towards Ron - the snitch hovering above his red hair.

" _I suppose that Butterfrunkles are superior in the fact that they can sing and Mortuffs can't, and - Oh, look, Harry's found the snitch. How nice…_ "

Harry was getting closer, he was  _almost_ _ **there**_! He could almost see the fluttering wings of the snitch and-

**_Wham!_ **

A bludger hit Harry right in his side, throwing him off course and steering him in a different direction.

Gasps filled the crowd at the direct hit the bludger had gotten on Harry's side.

 _'Sweet Fucking Merlin, that hurt!_ ' Was all that Harry could think for a moment. It took a moment for him to find his bearings.

"You alright, mate?" Ron yelled over to him, a mere ten feet away from where Harry float.

Harry lifted his hand and rubbed it on his sore side. Before saying, "Yeah... I'm alright."

Harry did a quick sweep of his eyes in the surrounding area to find that the snitch had disappeared once again.

" _Damn_." Harry cursed. He had been so  _bloody_   ** _close_**! He would've caught the snitch, with eleven minutes to spare before the thirty-minute mark! But he had been too focused on the snitch, that he didn't think of looking out for his surroundings

Harry flew up higher to his post in the middle of the pitch…

Slytherin had made a comeback in goals during the distraction of Harry getting hit by the bludger and they were now both tied. Harry's unease with the scoreboard caused him to search more frantically for the snitch than he ever had before.

The time board said that he only had three minutes left before the thirty-minute mark…  _WHERE was that BLOODY snitch?!_

When, suddenly, he spotted it! It was right in front of the sign that Romilda Vane held up that said:

_'You may fall from the sky,_

_You may fall from a tree,_

_But the best way to fall..._

_Is in love with me!_

_I love you, Harry Potter!'_

Harry cringed at the words, but decided that perhaps he could use the sign as an advantage…

He pretended to suddenly be interested in the crowd, knowing that he had to be quick with this, as he only had  _two minutes_  left before he lost a date with Ginny…

Harry shot, what he supposed was, a winning smile, as he waved to the crowd of students in the Ravenclaw section - channelling his father's inner narcissism, all the while.

None of the other players seemed to be paying him any attention, while the Ravenclaws got a bit excited and started to cheer and wave back at him.

" _Harry! Harry! Oh Merlin, Harry_!" Romilda screamed out, trying to get his attention.

Harry 'perked up' at the sound of his name and started to fly closer to Romilda… he was almost there, and no one has yet noticed that he has seen the snitch…

" _What in MERLIN'S NAME are you DOING, Potter?!_ " Katie yelled at him as she sped by, quaffle in hand.

Katie's scolding of him seemed to attract the attention of the Slytherin beaters. Their heads snapped over to where Harry was floating and noticed that he was zeroing in on the snitch.

Harry cursed, and immediately sped forward towards Romilda's sign. A bludger was shot in the spot where he had just been.

But the sudden movement of Harry's broom caused the snitch to start to flee, with Harry hot on its heels.

_One minute left!_

The snitch suddenly took a sharp turn upward, and Harry noticed that Draco was now hot on his trail… Gripping his broomstick, Harry pulled and shot up to the air right behind the snitch, his arm already outstretched to grasp the snitch. He was just about to reach out and grab it when it veered left and switched course again.

Harry followed it and realized that it was heading straight towards the teacher's stands, but in a zig-zag fashion. Deciding to take a chance, Harry kept his course straight-on, cutting out all of the twists and turns. And, sure enough, he was cutting in on the snitch when…

The alarm for the thirty-minute mark sounded, just a mere second before Harry clasped the snitch in his hand...

But Harry wouldn't let himself be deterred from this victory with the thought of not getting his date with Ginny… Harry held up the snitch in his hand, victorious!

 ** _They had won_**!

Harry had saved Ginny from having to spend an entire day with a Death Eater! The tight, anxious feeling in his chest loosened, at last, and a real genuine smile came to his lips as he landed on the ground – where he was promptly tackled to the floor by all of his teammates. Ginny being the last to add herself to the pile.

….

"Now remember, son, confidence is key." James lectured, as they walked together along the tunnel. "You've got to be cool… calm… collected… maybe even a bit flirtatious. But not too much! That's how you'll get what you want."

Harry nodded seriously as he listened to his father's advice. "Cool. Calm. Collected. Got it."

"That's exactly it, Prongslette," Sirius said from his other side, throwing a casual arm around Harry's shoulders. "It may even help if you mentioned me to her… she has always had quite the soft spot for me."

Harry snorted and rolled his eyes, before pushing his Godfather's arm off of him. "Please. I bet you say that about every woman, Sirius…"

James snorted loudly at that and shook his head in negative. "Actually, Harry, Sirius is right about this woman, for once. Madame Rosmerta has always had a soft spot for Sirius… She always set aside a special supply of Firewisky specifically for Sirius…"

Sirius let out a dramatic sigh and put a hand to his chest. "The woman did always know her way to my heart…" And Harry wanted to laugh at the nostalgic gleam in his Godfather's eyes.

An indignant huff came from behind them, and Harry peaked back guiltily at his mother… who obviously didn't approve of what they were doing.

"I still don't like you two corrupting my son…" His mum grumbled, with a crossing of her arms.

Harry sighed. He had already gotten three mini-lectures about it from her, and he could sense this being the start of another one. "What will you have me do, mum? I can't back down from my bet with Ginny. She won fair and square. And besides, what will it say about me if I can't even follow through on a silly bet? I wouldn't seem very honest or trustworthy to her, now would I?"

He had been building this argument in his head for the last ten minutes. Deciding that if he made this entire thing out to his desire to follow through with Ginny, it might actually appease his mum.

"But why did it have to be Firewisky?" His mum complained. "Why not some Butterbeer?"

"We're getting Butterbeer, too." Harry pointed out. "And we will be drinking the Firewisky in a safe environment. It's not as though anyone is drinking and driving…"

"Don't you mean 'Drinking and Flying'?" His dad asked, with a smirk, and Harry and Sirius snickered at the joke. Then his dad stopped and turned back to his mum. "Come on, Lils. Harry is almost of age. He needs a little teenage rebellion in his life before he becomes a full-grown wizard!"

Harry could see his mum's resolve start to waver a bit at that when a devious gleam came over James' face. "And besides, it's not as though  _you_  didn't partake in some Firewisky back in our sixth year…"

Harry's jaw dropped as he stared wide-eyed at his mum. He had never pictured her to be the one to break the rules… He had always seen his mum as having the same sort of personality as Hermione.

"Ah, yes…" Sirius said, serenely in remembrance. "The Big Rager of 1977… Now  _that_  was a good party!"

And to Harry's even further shock, his mum's eyes sparkled with a certain gleam as she remembered as well… until finally, her resolve cracked entirely. "Oh, alright…"

Harry, James and Sirius cheered.

James grabbed Lily around the waist and pulled her tight into his side. "Glad to have my partner-in-crime back on board…" James crooned into her ear.

"Hey!" Sirius yelled, offended. "I thought that  _I_ was your partner-in-crime!"

His dad rolled his eyes at Harry's Godfather and said, "You were demoted as soon as I said, ' _I do'_."

While Sirius sputtered, indignant, Harry spotted the smile that his mum shot up at his dad. And he was instantly in awe of the obvious love that could be seen in their one, shared look…

Then his mum caught him looking and sent her own, special smile towards Harry. "You know, Harry…" His mum began. "Besides the mentioning Sirius bit, what they said wasn't bad advice to use for other things…"

Harry's smile dropped into a questioning look.

His mum grinned and shook her head at his obvious cluelessness as to what she was referring to. "Other things, such as wooing Ginny…" Then his mum reached forward and clasped his hand. "I think that you should confess your feelings for her. Perhaps, tonight?"

Harry froze as he finally caught on to what his mum was implying… Tell Ginny that he  _fancied_  her?!  _TONIGHT?!_  Panic suddenly welled up in his throat. He  _couldn't_! He couldn't possibly do it!

Seeing the obvious panic on Harry's face, his dad immediately stepped in with his own thoughts. "You don't have to force yourself to tell her tonight, Son. I think what your mum is trying to say, is that if the moment feels right, then you should go for it."

Sirius nodded beside him, and put his arm around Harry's shoulders once again, this time in reassurance. "Yeah, Pup. And it will help that you both will have a couple of drinks in yah. Firewisky really helps with the nerves. I mean, that's how I found my confidence when I was your age!"

Calming down the more that his family reassured him, Harry relaxed. He didn't have to force himself to form a plan… It's like his dad said, if the moment felt right, then he should go for it. He wouldn't force it out in an awkward situation.

Taking a deep, shuttering breath, Harry nodded. "Alright. I'll tell her soon."

….

Harry returned to Gryffindor tower with fifty, large bottles of Firewisky and called Dobby to ask him to supply the Butterbeer in the tower for him.

He couldn't believe that he had actually done it! He had been confident and a tad flirty just like his dad and Sirius had said, and Madame Rosmerta was putty in his hands! Gave the Firewisky right over when he had asked for it.

It had been entirely too easy, and Harry had to admit, that displaying that amount of confidence in himself had felt… pretty good. He wasn't at all used to the feeling. Always shying away from any spotlight or glory pointed his way… and though he still hated this spotlight, perhaps he could indulge in a bit of glory every once in a while…

He currently had the bottles of Firewisky – which Madame Rosmerta put in a box for him with a lightening charm – underneath the Invisibility cloak with himself.

He had offered to his parents and Sirius that he could hold onto the stone during the party, so they could enjoy it as well. But, while they thanked him for thinking of them, they declined – stating that Harry needed to enjoy a party with his friends without his parents looming around.

So, Harry put away the stone in his pocket as soon as he had gotten back to the castle.

Harry made it to the Fat Lady's portrait and uncovered his head from the invisibility cloak, startling the woman in the painting. Harry quickly apologized, before taking his invisibility cloak off entirely, and said the password.

The Fat Lady huffed in annoyance before she indulged Harry by opening to door…

The Gryffindor common room was packed! It seemed that word had gotten out that Gryffindor was holding a party, as the Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and even a few Slytherins that Harry recognized from the D.A. had shown up. And all were currently conversing and partying together.

As soon as people started to notice Harry standing in the open, portrait door, they all cheered and welcomed him.

"Three cheers to the bloke who won Gryffindor the game!" Matthew, his fifth-year beater, called out as he stood on a study table in the middle of the common room. Everyone cheered, even the Slytherin students – though they did so, begrudgingly.

Seeing someone in the crowd below him, Matthew reached down and pulled them up onto the table with him. "And three cheers to Ginny Weasley! The witch, who not only scored four of the seven goals for Gryffindor today but also managed to trick Draco Malfoy into a losing bet! I think that we are all looking forward to Malfoy in a dress for three more matches!"

There was a mixture of laughter and cheers at the proclamation, and Harry could even see that Ginny's face was coloured a bit where she had been put on the spot on the table. Harry's breath hitched as he stared at her…  _Merlin, she was so beautiful_ …

Deciding he needed a distraction, lest he gets caught staring at Ginny, Harry pinched his fingers together to his mouth and let out a great, loud whistle. Dozens of head whipped in his direction, and Harry held up the box that he was holding in his hands. "I've got Firewisky."

If possible, the cheers were even louder than the ones before, as many students rushed forward and swarmed him, trying to get a bottle of the forbidden – to them – drink.

It was Ron who saved him with his height, by grabbing the box from Harry and holding it high above his head as he walked the box over to the food table – where the Butterbeer already sat with a cooling charm set around it. But not before knicking a bottle and handing it over to Harry.

The majority of the students that had swarmed him had followed Ron over to the drink table, leaving Harry to relax as he clutched the neck of the Firewisky bottle in his fist. Harry shut the portrait door and started on trying to make his way to Ginny – who had disappeared in the crowd during the chaos.

Harry really wanted to spend this night with her. To celebrate their victory together.

As Harry tried to weave his way through the crowd, Harry got many greetings and congratulatory pats on the back. Harry was even surprised to see Cho who was holding hands with Michael Corner, and he had to resist the urge to laugh out loud. Who would have thought that his ex and Ginny's ex would wind up together?

Suddenly, someone shot right in front of him, blocking his way.

"Hi, Harry." Romilda giggled. "I saw you looking at me during the game… I  _really_  hope that you liked my sign."

Harry stared gobsmacked as he suddenly remembered his ploy during the game, where he had tried to act casual when he had spotted the snitch. And he couldn't believe how  _stupid_  he was! Of course, he would give Romilda the wrong idea! It was difficult enough to dissuade her  _before_  she thought that he fancied her, and now it was bound to be  _unbearable_!

Flashes of Hermione's warnings about being careful around Romilda came to mind, and Harry found himself suddenly terrified that she would try to use a love potion on him, again.

So, without saying a word, Harry turned and ran away… as best as he could through a crowded common room.

…

Ginny was having a good time. She  _really_  was.

 _Except_ …

She had hoped that she was going to spend at least some bit of time with Harry tonight. But she hadn't seen any sign of him since he had arrived with the Firewisky… And it left her feeling… a bit forgotten.

But she wouldn't let herself dwell on it. Instead, she immersed herself into every conversation, just for the distraction. Colin was the perfect person for this highly important task. Entertaining her with his goofy personality – which was, apparently, the result of all of the liquor that they have drank.

Ginny could accurately say, that she was well on her way to getting plastered.

 _"Ginny!"_   Someone called from over by the window. _"Colin!"_

Both Ginny and Colin looked up to see it was Meyetta, Ginny's dorm mate, who had called them, and she was excitedly waving them over. Ginny and Colin looked over at one another, before shrugging and silently deciding to go over and see what she wanted.

As soon as they were in close proximity, Meyetta eagerly exclaimed, "We are playing, ' _Truth or Dare'_! Do you guys want to join?"

Ginny looked around at the group of people gathered and saw that it was Lavender, Parvati, Padma, Seamus, and Josephine – her other dorm mate. 'Sober' Ginny might have immediately said no to playing ' _Truth or Dare'_ , and moved on with her night. But 'Sloshed' Ginny, saw this as a good opportunity for another distraction and eagerly agreed.

This would surely get her mind of where Harry was, for sure!

Ginny sat down, and Colin sat down next to her, anticipation palpable in his body language.

"Before we start the game," Seamus spoke up, a randy grin of his face, "How's about we make things more  _interesting_. In honour of Ginny, who is apparently up for taking risks…" He said, referring to the bet she made with Draco.

"Ohh!" Lavender cooed, intently interested. "What do you have in mind?"

Seamus flashed a grin and reached into his pocket and produced a small vile. "This is called Integrity Potion. I got it from Fred and George's shop," He informed, looking at Ginny, before looking at the group at large again. "It's made for games like 'Truth or Dare'. One drop on your tongue and it makes you tell the truth if you pick truth. If you pick dare, it forces you to do the dare. You literally can't help it! You have to carry out the task given to you. Of course, they made it so you can't do anything dangerous or life-threatening. But it might make the game a bit crazier."

Ginny felt herself feeling a little wary… there were certain things that she didn't want revealed. Like her fancy for Harry, for one. Or the entirety of her first year… Or even the Prophecy of Harry being the 'Chosen One'. It was then that Ginny realized, that if she played this game, she could only pick dare… at least with certain people. She knew that Colin and Seamus wouldn't ask her any intrusive questions that she didn't want to answer, but she wasn't sure about the others…

But since her higher brain function, as well as her decision making, was flawed at the moment – due to her drinking – Ginny saw no problem in only taking dares. In fact, it would make her brave in a sense, wouldn't it?

Justified by her own reasoning, Ginny agreed with the others to try the potion her twin brothers had made.

Seamus uncorked the top of the bottle and produced a little eyedropper to pour a small drop on each of their tongues with. Seamus passed the bottle over to Colin after taking his own drop, both of their faces pruning as soon as the liquid landed on their tongues. Colin then passed it over to Ginny.

Ginny poured a drop of potion on her tongue and cringed at the horrible taste. It tasted like mouldy cheese... and if Ginny knew anything about her brothers, she knew that they probably made the disgusting taste deliberate. Ginny quickly passed the potion bottle and the eyedropper along to the person next to her, wanting to get away from the nasty potion as soon as possible.

Colin looked over at her sympathetically. "I know, right nasty stuff..." Then he handed her the bottle of Firewisky he had been holding on to. "Might want to wash it down."

Ginny took the bottle gratefully and took a swig, much preferring the burning taste of Firewisky than the potion she just took.

"Right then," Meyetta began after the last person in the group took the Integrity Potion. "Everyone got a drop? Good."

Then she produced an empty Butterbeer bottle and placed it in the middle of the circle. "Lavender, why don't you spin first?"

Lavender squealed in excitement and Ginny had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. It was a wonder how her brother had managed to tolerate so much girly squealing for such a long time with Lavender... Ginny thought that he would be much better off with Hermione.

Lavender leaned forward and spun the bottle. The bottle whipped around in its circle and Ginny couldn't help it... she felt the anticipation of who the bottle was going to land on. Some part of her even hoped that it would land on herself.

But it didn't. It landed on Colin.

Lavender smiled sweetly at Colin, and asked him, "Colin, truth or dare?"

Colin thought for a moment before answering, "Truth."

Lavender smiled a 'Kneasle that caught the Fairy' sort of grin, and Ginny felt a nervousness grow inside of her for her friend...

"Why did you always take pictures of Harry back in your first year?"

Colin snorted loudly, with a relaxed grin, replied, "Trying to  _out_ me, Lav Lav?" Ginny stared wide-eyed at Colin, wondering how he could be so blasé about such an intrusive question. "I took pictures of Harry because I had a major crush on him. But, alas, the boy-wonder is straight, so I got over it a few years ago."

Of course, Ginny always had her suspicions of this, but to hear Colin talk about it so comfortably caused Ginny to wonder why she never outright asked Colin about his sexuality.

Ginny reached over and grabbed Colin's hand, squeezing it until he looked up at her, where she gave him a reassuring smile.

"Alright, Colin, you're next," Parvati said, and Ginny was glad to see that no one made a fuss of Colin not only being gay but having once had a crush on Harry Potter. But Ginny supposed that no one could really blame Colin, seeing as everyone there- minus Seamus - all probably had a crush on Harry as well, at one point in time.

It wasn't Colin's fault that Harry was so lovable, and attractive, and sweet... and  _sexy_...

Ginny felt her face colour at her thoughts and immediately pushed them away. It wouldn't do for her to think about her fancy for Harry in front of others, lest she gets distracted and someone asks her about it.

Colin spun the bottle and it landed on Seamus, who immediately answered dare.

Colin dared him to get up on the table and sing a love ballad for Hermione while slowly stripping his button-down shirt.

Ginny could see the shimmer flash across Seamus' eyes as the potion made him get up and start doing just that.

He stood up on the table and yelled out in a loud voice that the song he was about to sing was dedicated to Hermione. Hermione's attention snapped up from where she was talking to Susan Bones over by the dormitory stairs. Then Seamus started to sing a smooth, jazzy number that Ginny recognized as one of Celestina Warbeck's songs, all the while slowly stripping his shirt.

Ginny burst out laughing at the beet red that immediately coloured Hermione's cheeks. Ginny had never seen her so  _embarrassed_  in all the time she had known Hermione.

There were many catcalls and leering remarks thrown at Seamus. And when he finished the song, instead of hiding in shame, Seamus owned up to it, and actually took a bow. Then he jumped down from the table and buttoned up his shirt again.

As Ginny fought to catch her breath from all of her laughter, she caught the sight of Ron out of the corner of her eye. He looked downright murderous as he glared at Seamus from his place on the couch, next to Katie Bell.

And Ginny smirked as she thought that maybe a little jealousy would light a fire under her brother's arse and he would finally ask Hermione out.

The game continued on, with some people mostly choosing truth after the embarrassing display that Seamus was forced to do.

Ginny found out that sometimes, Padma and Parvati switch places often, especially during exams, and that Lavender was the only one to ever notice.

Lavender revealed that her secret shame was that she often fantasized about numerous boys while in the shower, including some Slytherins.

And when Josephine was asked if she had to snog any Professor in the school that year, she replied with Professor Flitwick.

Ginny hadn't been chosen from the spinning bottle, yet. But she was still enjoying watching the game, surprisingly.

Until, finally, Meyetta spun the bottle and it landed on Ginny.

Meyetta grinned deviously as the bottle landed on her, and Ginny couldn't help but wonder what her roommate was up to...

"Ginny, truth or dare?"

Ginny knew Meyetta for five years now. They hadn't been all that good of friends after what had happened in Ginny's first year... where she hadn't been the most social person because of that stupid diary. But they were friendly enough with one another.

Yet, there was one thing that Ginny knew about Meyetta, and that was that the girl was always thirsting for new gossip. And one thing that Ginny noticed this year, was that Meyetta was extra curious about where Ginny's feelings lie... specifically about Harry.

It was for that reason, Ginny knew that she couldn't answer with 'truth' with Meyetta.

"Dare," Ginny said, confident. She could handle any dare Meyetta threw her way.

If possible, Meyetta's grin grew larger, and a feeling of dread fell in Ginny's stomach.

"I dare you to  _kiss_  Harry Potter  _on the lips_  first thing tomorrow in the Great Hall."

It took a moment for the dare to register in her thoughts. But when it did, the colour in her cheeks instantly drained from Ginny's face...

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	30. Chapter 30

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_"Dare." Ginny said, confident. She could handle any dare Meyetta threw her way._

_If possible, Meyetta's grin grew larger, and a feeling of dread fell in Ginny's stomach._

_"I dare you to kiss Harry Potter on the lips first thing tomorrow in the Great Hall."_

_It took a moment for the dare to register in her thoughts. But when it did, the color in her cheeks instantly drained from Ginny's face..._

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Chapter Thirty

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"Wh- _what_?" Ginny gasped, looking at Meyetta with wide eyes, not quite able to believe what she had just said.

Meyetta flashed a large smirk at Ginny, and said, snidely, "You heard me."

Lavender and the Patil twins looked mightily confused. "Wait... why not just dare her to go kiss Harry now?"

Meyetta shot a superior look over to Lavender. "Because, kissing Harry in the Great Hall at breakfast was a dare that Ginny didn't take before... and  _now_ , she has to. And besides, have any of you seen Harry around recently? Because I haven't."

As they spoke, the shock of the dare was starting to wear off, and panic was quickly taking it's place for Ginny.

Her hands whipped up to nervously clutch at her hair, and she subconsciously started to rock her body back and forth. "Merlin,  _why_? Why are you forcing me to do this?!"

Seamus gave her a strange look. "Calm down, Gin, it's not that bad-"

"Don't call me that!" Ginny snapped. Only Harry could call her ' _Gin_ '. Anyone else who tried to call her that, made her feel uncomfortable from how  _off_  it sounded. So, only Harry-

Oh Merlin...  _Harry_... her friend who she was being forced to  _kiss_! He was going to  _hate_  her  _forever_  for this! It was honestly a miracle that he had agreed to becoming friends at all, after she had embarrassed him by confessing her feelings for him, last year.

And no matter how much she wanted to press her lips to Harry's and never back away, it was clear to Ginny that Harry had  _no_  desire to do the same with her.

And if she were ever to have the chance to kiss Harry, she only wanted it to be mutually consensual between the both of them. She didn't want to kiss Harry unless  _he_  wanted it too.

"It's going to be alright, Ginny," Parvati tried to soothe, as she reached across the circle awkwardly to pat her knee in a consoling manner. "I mean, think about it! You have the chance to kiss  _Harry Potter!_ The only person I know who was lucky enough to do that is Cho Chang!"

Ginny frowned in obvious dislike at the mention of the Asian beauty. Even though she had no reason to be jealous, seeing as Harry had confided in her about not fancying Cho anymore. And besides that, Ginny had no right to be jealous over Harry because Harry wasn't hers to get jealous over. Plain and simple.

" _You don't understand!_ " Ginny stressed, her voice tight with her anxiety. As she pushed herself away from Parvati's touch. "This will  _ruin_  my friendship with Harry!"

Colin reached over and took her hand, which was fisted tightly by her knee. "Ginny, if nothing else, just tell him that it was a dare after you kiss him. I don't know Harry very well, but I do know that he can be forgiving if he has reason to be."

This still didn't make Ginny feel any better... knowing that the awkwardness wouldn't subside, no matter what explanation she brought forth. Because it wasn't as though Harry would truly believe it was a dare anyways. She had once admitted her fancy to him not even a year ago... and now that she had to kiss him, she knew exactly what conclusions Harry would come to.

If only she hadn't agreed to take that  _stupid_  Integrity Potion that her brothers made!

Then, it suddenly hit her! She found the solution to her problem.

She would send a letter to Fred and George immediately, and ask them for the antidote to the potion. And hope to  _Merlin_  that they would send it in time by tomorrow.

With that small sliver of hope, Ginny abruptly stood to her feet, startling everyone in their small group.

"Ginny?" Seamus asked, confused and more than a bit concerned. "Where are you going?"

Ginny found her jaw clenching, and as she walked away, managed to hiss through her teeth, "Doing damage control by finding a cure to this bloody potion!"

As Ginny marched towards the stairs that led to the Girls Dormitories, she thought that she heard Meyetta say, snidely, "Wow... it's called  _Integrity_  Potion for a reason, but it seems that Weasley doesn't have much of that..."

Fueled by even more anger, Ginny quickened her pace, trying to find her way to the nearest quill and parchment paper.

...

A broom closet.

Harry Potter was currently hiding in a  _fucking BROOM CLOSET!_  Of all the places for him to hide in the middle of a giant party...! He was actually sort of shocked that no one has tried to invade his hiding spot for a private snog... but figured that it was only a matter of time.

He couldn't believe that he was hiding in the middle of a great party... a party he was  _supposed_  to enjoy, seeing as  _he_  was the one that had won Gryffindor the game. As well as supplied the alcohol.

But  _no_... instead he was in a broom closet, wasting the time away by drinking from the bottle of Firewisky Ron had snatched for him and fantasized about Ginny stumbling upon him in the broom closet and suddenly snogging him mad!

Harry grinned crookedly as he took another swig of the burning alcohol and wondered what other places their snogging would lead to if she found him here. And as a result, to the images in his mind, Harry grew a rather hard erection that he was currently palming through his trousers.

In his drunken state, Harry wondered at how far Ginny would be willing to go...

' _Would she let me- er, I mean, a bloke - kiss her neck?_ ' Harry thought. ' _Palm her breasts? Touch the heat underneath her skirt?_ '

Harry groaned out loud at the last one, imagining his own hand doing just that. The only trouble was that even just the thought of starting anything sexual with Ginny, was that Harry hadn't the faintest clue as to how to pleasure a girl... he had no idea where his hand would feel best on her or what spots to stroke. So his mind had to make up whatever seemed the most natural.

But with his sloshed mind, Harry saw no trouble with this. All that he knew was that any sight of Ginny Weasley in any sort of undress would make it all worth it in the end. From what he has seen of her in her knickers, Harry knew that she was lithe and toned… and so,  _so sexy_ …

Suddenly, the door burst open, startling Harry from his sitting position in his hiding place. And Neville Longbottom was pushed in the closet next to him, his back landing against the back wall.

Alarmed, Harry had been about to ask his friend if he was alright, but was stopped when someone else joined them in the closet – shutting the door behind them.

Luna practically leapt forward at Neville, in a fashion that reminded Harry of an animal attacking its prey. And then they were snogging… in all of its messy, clumsy glory.

Harry watched on in horror at the situation he had found himself in, and leapt up from his sitting position on the floor, standing on clumsy feet.

"Oh!" Luna exclaimed as she broke away from Neville, surprised by Harry's appearance and abrupt movement. "Harry?"

At the sound of Harry's name from Luna's lips, Neville's eyes snapped open in alarm, before relaxing a bit when he saw that Harry was actually in the closet with them.

Harry held his hands up in surrender, hoping that his face displayed how apologetic he actually felt. " _Merlin_ , I'm so sor-"

But Luna wasn't listening. Instead she turned her attention to Neville, who had a terribly embarrassed expression on his own face at getting caught snogging in a broom closet. "Neville, I didn't know that Harry would be joining us… Did you intend to make this a threesome?"

A violent coughing fit suddenly overcame Neville, while a gobsmacked Harry felt his cheeks burn.  _How_ , in the name of  _Merlin_ , did he always find himself in these situations?!

"N- _No_!" Harry exclaimed, just as Neville cried out, "He better not!"

A confused look crossed over Luna's face and her gaze went from Neville's face to Harry's. "Then, Harry… Why are you here?"

Harry cleared his throat anxiously, and stuttered, "I-I was just leaving…"

And with that, Harry quickly stumbled out of the closet as fast as he could. But it seemed that he drank more than he could handle, because walking seemed rather difficult all of a sudden.

Harry stopped and stood there - in the middle of the common room - to catch his breath. His hand went up to his temple to try and get rid of the sudden dizziness he felt.

But just as he was starting to feel relaxed, out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Romilda Vane over by the portrait door, seeming to still be searching for him.

No! He couldn't face her! At least not alone...

" _Hermione_..." Harry said, panicking out loud as he backed away from the witch who had once tried to use a love potion on him.

" _HERMIONE_!" Harry yelled as he finally turned around on the spot, searching for his friend with brown, bushy hair. Students all around him snapped their attention to him immediately, some smirking in amusement at how sloshed the Boy-Who-Lived had gotten. " _Where are you?!"_

Apparently yelling in a middle of a crowd wasn't the best thing to do when you were trying to avoid someone. Because as soon as he had shouted for Hermione, he also captured the attention of, not only everyone in the common room, but Romilda Vane, herself.

Romilda smiled widely as soon as she caught sight of him, and started to try and make her way to him through the crowd.

"Harry?" A voice called from his left side, his head shot over to see Hermione gently pushing her way through the crowd of scattered students.

Sighing in relief, Harry rushed towards her before ducking and hiding behind her - even though she was much shorter than he was.

"Protect me!" Harry slurred, bending low and trying to hide himself behind her bushy hair. "Sh-she's  _bloody mad,_  and I  _don't_  want to love her! Please don't let her make me!"

Hermione tried to turn her body to face him, but Harry held on strong to her shoulders, using her as some sort of human shield against Romilda... especially as the fourth-year Ravenclaw approached.

Romilda frowned slightly at the sight of Hermione, but - after a moment of intense scrutiny - pointedly ignored her and tried her best to look past Hermione at Harry.

"Harry!" Romilda giggled in a way that made Harry grimace in annoyance. "There you are! I know that you feel shy around me, but there was no reason for you to run away like that earlier."

Harry groaned, and knocked his head forward against the back of Hermione's bushy hair in exasperation. Especially since her words were heard by almost everyone that was standing close to them. Now word would spread that Harry Potter was shy around Romilda Vane... "Bloody  _mad_ , she is!"

It seemed that Hermione had enough, as she turned her torso slightly to push against Harry's forehead, which had been keeping up a steady stream of light head banging against her. "Stop that, Harry. It's annoying."

Harry let off immediately, perfectly chastised at hearing the no-nonsense tone in Hermione's voice, and he even took a couple of paces back from her. "Sorry."

Hermione stared hard at Harry for a moment, before giving a single nod, and turning her attention towards Romilda. "Now, as for you, I'm not about to hide the fact that I think that your attempted use of a love potion is absolutely deplorable! Don't you know that it is illegal, Romilda?! You're a Ravenclaw, one would think that you would be smart about this, if not responsible. And furthermore, I think that you pestering Harry at his own victory party when-"

" _Oh_  shut it," Romilda snapped, a hardness in her tone as she glared at Hermione for her truthful accusations. Hermione gasped. "You're just jealous of what Harry and I will have."

Sobering slightly at the horrible tone of voice Romilda had used against Hermione, his sister, Harry couldn't hold back the hard glare that he directed at the fourth-year witch.

It suddenly hit him of what he needed to do, and he had only wished that he had thought of it sooner…

" _Dobby_!" Harry shouted out, still a slight edge to his tone.

With a crack shouting out through the air, the excitable house elf appeared. His sudden appearance startled some of the surrounding students that had been watching the scene… which Harry would have found hilarious under different circumstances. Were they witches and wizards, or not?

"Harry Potter is needing Dobby?!" Dobby exclaimed, tugging on his long ears in his excitement. "Harry Potter is such a kind and generous friend to Dobby! Harry Potter is a friend to all house elves! Harry Potter is-"

"Yes, thank-you, Dobby," Harry quickly intervened, his anger momentarily replaced by his embarrassment and his pinkening cheeks. "Would you be so kind as to apparate Romilda here back to the Ravenclaw dorms?" Then turning his level gaze back to Romilda's shocked face, Harry continued on to say, "I think that she has overstayed her welcome in Gryffindor Tower."

Romilda gasped, and some surrounding students either looked just as shocked or amused by the situation - which was evident by their snickering.

Romilda tried to step closer to Harry but was blocked by Hermione, who was miffed by Romilda's blatant disrespect towards her. "B-But  _Harry-_ "

But before Romilda could go on with what she had wanted to say, Dobby gleefully stepped forward while saying, "Dobby is happy to be doings what Harry Potter asks! Dobby is happy to help his friends!"

With that, Dobby reached forward and clutched onto Romilda's unwilling hand and, with a crack, disapparated from the room.

As soon as she had gone, Harry had relaxed. It felt as though an unnecessary burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Hermione finally turned towards him, a questioning look in her eye, asking if he was alright.

Harry sighed and ran a drunken hand down his face. "She can't make me love her, Hermione… Don't let her make me…"

Hermione's face softened as she looked upon Harry. "I won't allow it to happen, if I can help it, Harry." Then her gaze turned critical once more. "You're drunk."

Harry nodded, agreeing with his friend that he was downright plastered… "Y-Yep." Harry hiccuped, suddenly feeling slightly woozy and wobbly on his feet, now that the threat of Romilda was removed.

Hermione's face immediately transformed into worry. "Perhaps you should lay down, Harry… I think that you've had too much…"

As she said this, Hermione started to lead him towards the boy's dormitory stairs, but Harry immediately rebelled against the idea.

" _N-No_!" Harry exclaimed, pushing against the hold that Hermione held on him. " _I-I'm_  free now. I want to find Ginny… Where is she?"

Harry's eyes traveled across the expanse of the room, looking for any signs of the long, striking, red hair… with no luck.

Frowning, Harry turned his eyes to Hermione for explanation, until the coveted sight of red caught his attention out of the corner of his eye…

Ginny was at the top of the stairs to the girl's dormitories, stomping down the stairs with what looked to be determination. She looked beautiful, a bit flushed in the cheeks, but it added to her appeal.

An eager smile suddenly broke out over his face, and he pushed forward to meet her - not even remembering to say anything else to Hermione as he left her.

"G- _Ginny!_ " Harry called out in a slur, drunkenly trying to make his way towards her in the crowd, while waving his hand in the air to get her attention. " _Ginny_!"

Ginny froze as soon as she had heard her name from his lips, and stared at him, wide-eyed, as he came closer. It had honestly been a miracle that she had heard him in the noisy common room. Harry beamed widely at her, glad to see that she was willing to wait for him, and came to stand right in front of her… grinning madly at her with a goofy smile.

"H-Hi!" Harry hiccuped, then spread his arms out wide in front of her. "Here I am!"

Ginny gaped at him as she looked at him strangely. She didn't say anything, a fact that caused Harry to grow self-conscious and lower his arms.

"Gin?" Harry asked, a sobering concern taking root. "Are you alright?"

As soon as he had asked the question, Ginny immediately gave a jerky nod. "Y-Yes. S-Sorry… I, um, just hadn't seen you all night and I, uh, really got to send this letter."

Relief swarmed through him, and his buzz returned, along with his smile. "Who is the letter for?" Suddenly noticing the envelope clutched tight in her hand.

Ginny's eyes followed his to the letter in her hand, before snapping her eyes to meet his face, once again. "F-Fred and George." Ginny stated, before going on to explain. "I was going to go up to the owlry to see if there was a school owl I could use to send it."

If possible, Harry brightened even more at this information. He could use this as an excuse for some alone time with Ginny… Maybe on their walk to the owlry, Harry would find that 'right moment' that his dad was telling him about, and he could tell Ginny how he feels about her. "I have a letter that I need to send to Fred and George, too!" Harry exclaimed, even though he really hadn't. "We can send them together with Hedwig!"

Ginny looked as though she wanted to protest this idea very much, a fact that went over Harry's head as he was too sloshed to take notice. "W-What letter do you possibly need to send to them?!" Ginny asked, her voice stressed.

Harry chuckled, as he ran a hand through his hair, a habit reminiscent of his dad. "Well, I haven't exactly written it, yet. But I will as soon as we get there! And Hedwig is fast at delivering letters. She may even get them to Fred and George well before the sun rises."

Harry knew that he was bragging about his familiar, but at the moment, he would use everything he had in his arsenal to impress his Ginger Firecracker.

At his words, Ginny perked up in interest. "That fast, huh?"

Harry nodded eagerly and found himself leaning in closer, glad to have found himself at the center of her attention. "Yep! Hedwig used to deliver the letters that I sent to Snuffles! And I remember that Snuffles was in someplace tropical, but it took no time at all for Hedwig to deliver him the letters! She would always be back within two days!"

Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment, before she gave him a slight smile, with some of the tension melting away from her body. "How is it that you always come to save me from my problems, Harry?"

A warm feeling enveloped inside his chest and a bubbling burst in his stomach. Harry licked his lips nervously, before replying, "Be-Because I would do anything for you, Gin..."

Harry waited as Ginny stared at him for a long moment, with those beautiful, brown eyes of hers... all the while, Harry was kicking himself for saying too much, thinking that he crossed the line. But that was before Ginny's body relaxed and she stepped forward to give him a hug.

Harry melted and immediately wrapped his arms back around her, feeling the sparks and warmth coming from where they touched.

"You don't know how much that means to me..." Ginny muttered, where her face was pressed into his shoulder.

Harry chuckled and squeezed her tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Well, it's true."

But it was after he said this, when Ginny pulled away. And Harry mourned the loss, but put on a brave face by giving her an easy smile, which Ginny returned.

"The owlry?" Ginny asked, expectant.

Harry nodded and stepped aside, letting her lead the way.

...

On their way up to the owlry, Harry didn't find a single moment where it felt right to confess his feelings to Ginny.

In fact, Harry barely had a chance to speak at all, seeing as Ginny spent the entire time filling it with endless chatter. Not that Harry minded, as the things that Ginny said happened to be hilarious and had Harry laughing outrageously. But Harry couldn't help but notice how...  _off_  Ginny seemed tonight. Almost as though she were anxious about something. This, being evident by how nervous her voice sounded as she tried to fill any threat of silence.

But, ever-still, Harry found himself wanting to reach out and grab her hand as they walked close to one another. It was four times that their hands accidentally brushed by their close proximity.

When they finally made it to the owlry, Hedwig immediately flew up to greet him, by coming to perch on his shoulder.

"Hey, girl," Harry said, affectionately, as he brushed the back of his fingers through her feathers. It was at that moment, where he realized that it had been a while since he had spent time with his familiar, and he found how much he actually missed her.

Hedwig must have felt the same, by the way that she crooned against his touch.

"Who knew you had such a way with the ladies, Harry?" Ginny snickered, as she stepped forward to scratch lightly at the top of Hedwig's feathered head.

Harry flushed at her words, and looked around pointedly for a distraction... and found it in the corner, where a desk sat with some spare parchment paper and never-drying ink sat.

"I best start on my letter then." Harry said in a way to change the subject. But before he made his way over to the desk, Harry turned towards Ginny and asked, "Would you mind giving her an owl treat? She's going to need her energy for flying tonight."

Ginny grinned and nodded, and Harry passed Hedwig along to her.

Watching Ginny with his familiar sent a warm feeling in his chest as he watched them go over to where the owl treats were kept.

Shaking his head slightly, Harry stepped forward to the desk, sat down, and started in on his letter to the Weasley twins...

_**Gred and Feorge,** _

_**Well, it's official! I'm going to be a Weasley. And not just an honorary one. Do you think that Ginny would adopt me into the family?** _

_**Did I ever thank you two for the Marauder's Map? Dad says that he wants to meet you two.** _

_**Malfoy is a git who wants my woman. Dean Thomas, too.** _

_**Shhh, don't tell!** _

_**Luna won't stop talking about the clouds… or snogging Neville. And Dobby makes the best muffins that can lead to cuddles in the girl's dormitories.** _

_**I've decided that I want to get married. Yeah… don't kill me. It's my bloody choice! Not yours! Ron is alright with it, and you two bloody well better be, too! It's best that you just accept it and move on. Because if you don't, I will make the two of you regret it. Glowing eyes and all…** _

_**Don't think that I'm not bloody serious! Or you'll get what's coming to you!** _

_**Harry** _

Drunkenly, Harry surveyed the letter that he had written to the Weasley twins. He couldn't believe how masterfully he was able to write! Sure, it got a bit threatening toward the end there, but Harry thought that it added an element of suspense for the letter as a whole.

Perhaps he should become a poet… Poetry would surely woo Ginny over, wouldn't it? In fact, whispering poetry against Ginny's bare skin, with his lips, was a sure fire way to make Harry love poetry, too.

With that thought in mind, Harry sealed the letter in an envelope, stood up from the desk and walked over to where Ginny was spoiling Hedwig with treats and compliments.

…

Ginny laid in bed, lazing happily on the top of her covers.

It was only twenty minutes earlier when she had woken up from an unfit sleep, dreading the fact that she had to go down to the Great Hall to kiss Harry Potter against his will, in less than an hour…

Fred and George had sent back their response to her plea, stating that there was no antidote potion for the Integrity Potion, and that she should just suck it up and do the dare assigned to her. They also went on to say that she should tell Harry that he needs to watch his back now… which Ginny had no idea where that came from, but didn't dwell on it, seeing as she was too busy stressing over the fact that she was about to force herself onto Harry Potter against his will...

But it was after dressing for the day, when a thought had come to her, unexpectedly. Did she really  _have_ to go to the Great Hall? And with relief bubbling in her chest, Ginny had formed the plan of merely skipping breakfast in the Great Hall and going to the kitchens for some pastries later.

Ginny grinned as she thought of her own genius. If she didn't go down to the Great Hall, then she wouldn't have to kiss Harry, after all. Seeing as after breakfast, the dare would be null and void.

Now more than ever, she was grateful to Harry for showing her the entrance to the kitchens.

Ginny stretched and grinned at the thought of Meyetta's face when she saw that Ginny wouldn't be at the Gryffindor table this morning. And she outright laughed at the image of what Harry was sure to look like this morning. He had been downright plastered last night! Slurring his words, tripping over his own feet, blowing kisses randomly at the air…

In fact, Ginny had to help Harry back to the common room, where she had handed him off to Ron, who had helped his best mate up to bed - despite Harry's protests of wanting to stay and enjoy the party.

She could only imagine how hung-over Harry would be this morning, and almost felt bad at finding that fact funny.

Distantly, she could hear the chatter of Gryffindor students gathering in the common room before heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast. And she knew that breakfast would be starting in a minute, and again, Ginny smugly thought of her own genius…

But in the next moment, her body was standing, and Ginny gasped at how light-headed the action caused her. Then her feet were walking towards the door…

No, no, no, no, NO!

It was the bloody potion! It was making her go to the Great Hall!

Ginny watched in horror as her own hand reached out to twist the knob to her dormitory door…

She had to fight this! All that she had to do was delay herself long enough for breakfast to be over. Fighting with all of her might, Ginny fought for control of her own limbs. And she managed to at least gain control over her arms when she was only a foot out the door. Ginny's arms snapped out to the mantle and literally hugged herself to the doorframe, clutching with all of her might.

She could feel the potion fighting for control of her arms again… in fact, her legs were still trying to walk forward. Ginny held her breath with the effort of trying to glue herself into place.

"Well, well," A snide voice said from behind her in the dorm room. Ginny didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"What do we have here?" Meyetta laughed crudely. "What's the matter,  _Gin_? Aren't you hungry?"

Ginny could literally feel her face engulf with an angry red… But she felt that she couldn't retaliate with any sort of response, for fear of the potion taking control, once again.

Meyetta snickered from behind her, and boasted loudly, "Well, if you are so eager to eat, then I'm, of course, willing to help!"

With that, Meyetta pushed Ginny from behind, sending her body surging forward. And with that one distraction, Ginny felt the potion take control, once again…

Ginny gasped in a breath as her body caught itself on the opposite wall. And she barely had time to right herself before body was propelling forward down the stairs.

"Damn you, Meyetta!" Ginny shouted behind her, trying to put in as much malice as she could.

In response, Ginny heard antagonizing laughter. "You'll thank me later,  _Gin_!"

Ginny was panicking. She fought for control once again as she stepped out of the portrait hole, but was unable to gain any of it back. She honestly felt that in any moment, she was about to burst into tears… and she nearly did as she found herself sitting in her seat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

Harry would never forgive her for what was to come. She tried everything that she could think of to stop it, but she  _failed_! Even if Harry understood that it was all a result of a dare, would he see her as incompetent for not being able to stop it? Would he kick her out of their inner circle?

Ginny bit her lip hard into her bottom lip as she contemplated her worries. And it was only a moment later where the sound of bickering infiltrated her hearing, and Ron and Hermione sat down across her.

"All that I asked was if there was anything going on between you and Seamus!" Ron said in exasperation. "No need to get hissy about it. I mean, he did sing a love ballad to you, last night at the party…"

Hermione stiffened, and replied heatedly, "He was also very drunk! And besides, if he does feel that way about me, then I can say that I certainly don't feel the same!"

Ginny thought about intervening and telling them that what Seamus did the night before had only been a dare, but decided against it. She had enough to think about…

That was how Ginny spent the rest of breakfast… Listening to Ron and Hermione bicker back and forth about Seamus and his supposed 'fancy' of her, while Ginny waited on bated breath for Harry to walk through the double doors…

But he never came.

Ginny felt the exact moment where the potion granted her mobility back to her… right when the food disappeared from the tables.

Ginny sucked in a breath, breathing labored, and earned the bewildered looks from Ron and Hermione - who had suddenly cut off from their argument.

"Ginny?" Ron asked, concerned all of a sudden. "Are you alright?"

Ginny gave a jerky nod as she continued to breathe. "Ye-Yes. Where is Harry?"

Ron and Hermione continued to give her weird looks, while Ron replied, "He had quite the nasty hang-over this morning, so he stayed in bed. I mean, it's not as though we have access to a hangover potion in Hogwarts."

Ginny stared at her brother for a long moment, before letting out a relieved laugh. Now, more than ever, she was grateful that Harry had drank more than he could handle, last night.

It took a moment for the nervous tension to leave her as she laughed, aware, she was, that Ron and Hermione were looking at her in a way that said that she had grown two heads. When she finally calmed, Ginny beamed at them with a wide smile, and stood from the bench. "Well, I'm off to the kitchens for breakfast. See you lot, later!"

Then she was practically skipping from the Great Hall, very much enjoying her newfound freedom over her limbs. But it was near the exit to the Great Hall, at the end of the Gryffindor table, where Ginny saw Meyetta. The two locked eyes, and Ginny shot her a smug and superior look. She managed to best Meyetta at her own game, and it was all thanks to Harry wanting to sleep in!

Meyetta looked as though her face was about to prune, from the stink-eye that she was giving Ginny. But Ginny found that she didn't care, and left the Great Hall while she could.

…..

It was after a breakfast of pastries, when Ginny decided that she needed to clear her head after a long night of worry and so little sleep - Ginny gathered her ink, quill, and parchment together to take with her outside, so she could do her homework in the fresh air.

As soon as she stepped outside, she felt the tension in her shoulders - that had been present since breakfast- relax. Ginny felt that she could finally breath properly now that she was in the open, Scotland air.

She took a moment to stop and stand there, breathing deeply through her nose as she forced herself to relax - before she set off to sit under the birch tree by the black lake.

She had a long essay due in Defense Against the Dark Arts the next day, and she really needed to get started on it. Ginny spent the entire day under the tree, writing all of her essay to completion, before going back and checking for any errors in grammar or facts.

By the time that Ginny finished, she realized that it was well past lunch hour and almost time for dinner. Ginny set aside the essay and her textbook, and relaxed her head against the trunk of the tree… Her right hand was cramped and hurting from the amount of writing that she had done, and her eyes were tired from staring at the same paper the entire day…

Ginny closed her eyes and let herself relax after a job well done.

But suddenly, a large gust of wind blew past and Ginny heard the crumbling sound of her parchment paper being lifted from the ground…

Her eyes snapped open to see her essay flying away with the wind.

"NO!" Ginny gasped, before leaping to her feet and trying to chase after it. She couldn't lose her essay! At this time, she wouldn't have enough time to rewrite it before she had to turn it in!

Ginny ran across the field, chasing the wind along with her D.A.D.A. essay… when a swooshing sound came from behind her, and Harry Potter flew by her.

Ginny stopped running, watching as Harry arched his broom upward, where he plucked her essay from the sky. Then watched as Harry slowed his broom, and hovered in the air as he rolled up the parchment paper, before he tucked it under his arm and turned his broom to return to her.

When Harry landed in front of her, he had an amused grin on his face. "I would ask if you dropped something, but that wouldn't quite be accurate now, would it? Seeing as the thing you 'dropped' was flying in the air…"

Despite herself Ginny couldn't help but laugh slightly at the joke he made, but mostly she was relieved that he had saved her paper...

Harry Potter… Her savior from Basilisks, evil diaries, hunger, boredom, a date with Malfoy, and now… from losing her flying homework…

Grateful, Ginny stepped forward and took her rolled up essay from his outstretched hand. "You honestly don't know how thankful I am! This essay was brutal to write…"

Harry waved off her gratitude and leaned against his propped-up broomstick, his other hand going up to run through his windswept hair. "Ah, it's nothing. I was already out flying."

Ginny nodded in acceptance to his answer before looking at him curiously. "How are you feeling? Ron told me that you had a nasty hangover…"

Harry coughed as his cheeks pinkened. "Yeah… I'm feeling better. Sorry if I did anything weird last night… I only really remember snippets of last night, and I'm only hoping that I didn't do anything to embarrass myself."

Ginny giggled and immediately shook her head. "Not anything too incriminating. In fact, I barely saw much of you last night. What were you doing?"

Harry shuddered, and a grimace came to his face. "I was hiding from Romilda… She-She sort of has this unhealthy obsession with me."

Ginny frowned at this new tidbit of information, but decided not to comment more on it.

Thinking of a change of subject, Ginny suddenly remembered something that she had momentarily forgotten and started to laugh. Harry shot her a questioning look, and Ginny quickly clarified. "I got a response back from Fred and George this morning, and they said something about you needing to watch your back, and that it is only yourself that you can blame, because you were the one who waged war."

Harry's face was quickly losing its color the more that she talked. "What exactly was it that they were talking about?"

Harry coughed and pulled at his shirt collar, uncomfortably. "Er, well, I-I may have gotten cocky in my letter to them last night and may have goaded them on…"

Ginny gaped at him, questioning his sanity. "You didn't…"

Harry nodded, suddenly terrified. And Ginny looked on at him in sympathy. "Oh, Harry…"

Her obvious concern over his oncoming war with the twins, caused his anxiety to double for a moment, before his entire face cleared with clarity and he looked down at her with a hopeful expression. "Would you - I mean you don't have to - but would you mind joining my team? I could really use an ally as devious as you on my side."

Ginny laughed and found herself immediately agreeing. "Sure, why not? The twins won't know what hit them with Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter against the world!"

Harry grinned easily back at her, before his stomach rumbled loudly. His hand snapped down to cover his stomach in embarrassment, and he now looked at her apologetically. "Sorry… I missed breakfast and lunch today because of my hangover. Want to go in for supper?"

Ginny grinned and nodded. Not daring to thank him out loud for missing breakfast that morning.

Together, they walked back up to the castle, chatting about nonsense as well as planning ideas of retaliation against the twins.

It wasn't long before they made it into the Great Hall, and Ginny found the smell of the delicious food calling her… propelling her body forward. And her own stomach rumbled in response to the enticing smells. Harry laughed from behind her and commented, "Seems I'm not the only one who was starving."

Ginny nodded in agreement, remembering that she had missed lunch in favor of finishing her essay.

They spotted Ron and Hermione already sitting down at their usual spot in the middle of the long Gryffindor table, and they both made their way towards them on the other side of the table.

"Feeling better, Harry?" Hermione asked as soon as they were within earshot, concern in her voice.

Harry nodded and sat down, leaving space for Ginny. "Yes. But now, I feel like I could eat as much a Ron does, I'm so hungry…"

"Hey!" Ron yelled out, indignantly, flinging a cloth napkin at Harry's face.

Ginny laughed at Harry's jibe at her brother, before stepping over the bench herself and sitting down.

But the moment that she sat down next to him, is when she felt it...

The overwhelming need to complete the task given to her. The force propelling her body to comply, even though her mind screamed against it.

_No!_  She couldn't stop it! She couldn't fight it! All that she had done to prevent this from happening, was all in vain. She had been mistaken when she thought the dare would become void as soon as Harry had missed breakfast - as it was the first time they had been in the Great Hall together, to the potion, it would be considered 'first thing' as Meyetta had said in her dare.

With all of her might, Ginny tried to fight the effects. Her hands fisted the edges of the bench she sat upon. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she tried to focus all of her concentration. And she held her breath in the effort of focusing her mind.

But soon, she felt his comforting hand on her shoulder, and Ginny couldn't help the involuntary way her eyes naturally flicked over to look at him.

His face was so full of concern as he looked at her with worried eyes. "Are you alright, Gin? I've been calling your name and you didn't answer... And your face is getting rather purplish... Do you need me to take you to the hospital wing?"

As soon as her eyes met his, Ginny knew that she had lost the fight. They were such a beautiful shade of green, that she couldn't help but get lost in them. And it was as soon as she lost her focus, she lost her will-power, as well. Her mind fogged over with a haze as the potion took effect.

It was almost as though everything happened in slow-motion from then on, but it all still seemed so fast to Ginny.

The potion compelled her to lean forward, and she did so marginally as she looked into his eyes... his innocent eyes that said that he had no idea what she was about to do.

Ginny sucked in a breath, and the corners of his lips lifted in relief as he saw that she was actually breathing. But it was just as he was about to open his mouth to say more, Ginny leaned in all of the way, and firmly pressed her lips to his.

Under all of the haze of the potion in her mind, Ginny managed to make a clear assumption within her thoughts.

' _This is what magic feels like..._ '

Sparks burst behind her closed eyes as soon as they touched, in a way that Ginny hadn't even thought possible.

Ginny moved her lips, not even really noticing how frozen Harry's were underneath hers. Only focused, she was, on the addictive tingling that she felt where they touched.

His lips were so smooth, almost like velvet. And she could feel a heat stemming from that smoothness traveling all the way down to her stomach... where butterflies were flying around like mad.

From the back of her mind, Ginny noticed sudden gasps coming from all around her as her mind started to clear - the dare fulfilled. With a gasp of her own, Ginny snapped back - her hands automatically going up to cover her mouth as she stared at him, aghast with horror!

Harry's eyes were wide as he looked back at her, his face showing nothing but surprise. And looking back now, with a clear mind, Ginny realized that he hadn't kissed her back...

Tears started to well in Ginny's eyes.

Oh  _Merlin_! She had  _kissed_  Harry Potter...! And it had been as wonderful as she had ever dreamed it to be. But he hadn't liked it at all... Ginny could see it all over his frozen face, as he gaped at her.

" _Merlin_ ," Ginny managed to choke out through her ever-growing tears. She had never been so mortified. "I-I'm so  _sorry_ , Harry... I-"

She couldn't stand it any longer. Couldn't stay when he was staring at her in a way that implied that she had two heads.

Abruptly, Ginny stood. Turned towards the doors, and ran.

She ran in a way that implied that she wouldn't stop anytime soon, covering her eyes as the tears came more and more. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Meyetta smirk at her from her place at the table, but Ginny wasn't in the right mind to care at the moment.

How could she be so  _bloody stupid_?! Harry would  _never_  forgive her for this! He had drawn the line, had made it plenty clear to her that he had drawn it, but then she just had to go and cross it...

Ginny pushed her way past the students lingering in the doorway of the Great Hall, all the while thinking of the best place to wallow in her grief as she mourned the loss of her friendship with Harry...

...

Harry sat gaping at the empty spot Ginny had previously been sitting in. He hadn't even the right mind to look and watch as Ginny ran from the room.

As soon as she had left, though, chattering broke out all around him of what the surrounding students had just seen...

All the while, Harry stared at the empty spot...

It was a long moment before Harry moved. And when he did, he raised a shaking hand to his face, as his fingers traced at his still-tingling lips.

Ginny... she- she had  _kissed_  him!

A slow smile started to break out on his lips.

_Ginny_  had kissed  _him_!

Merlin... and that...  _that_  was some  _kiss_...! If it felt that good just frozen still as she kissed him, he could only  _imagine_  what it felt like to actually participate.

"-to be lost in thought..." Harry vaguely heard Hermione say from across the table.

Suddenly, there was the frantic snapping of fingers in front of his face, startling Harry out of his dazed state of mind.

" _Oy!"_  Ron exclaimed, still snapping his fingers in front of Harry's eyes. Shaking his head a bit, Harry pushed Ron's hand away, annoyed at the fact that Ron had to go and ruin the good moment... "Are you going to go after my sister, or am I going to have to hex you for inadvertently rejecting her...  _again?!_ "

That was when Harry's muddled thoughts vanished, as he finally found his brain.

Abruptly, Harry stood from his seat, almost falling over as his speed hadn't really given him time to find his balance. Before moving any further, however, Harry spared a moment to look at his friends in gratitude. Smiling widely at his best mates of six years, before he went to go declare his fancy to the girl that he loved.

Ron still seemed rather miffed, but his features relaxed as soon as he saw that he planned on going after Ginny. Hermione merely smiled at him, excitement shining in her eyes. "Go get her, Harry!"

Harry smiled even wider before he nodded in affirmation, and stepped over the bench, as he grabbed his broom in hand.

As Harry ran towards the Great Hall doors, someone from the Gryffindor table stopped him by reaching out and clutching the sleeve on his robes.

Harry paused and looked back at who would stop him at such a crucial moment in his life. And he recognized her to be Ginny's doom mate... Marjetta, was it? No... it was something else...

She had an odd gleam in her eyes as she looked up at him, and she was about to open her mouth to say something, but Harry cut her off - now frantic at finding Ginny as soon as possible.

"Sorry!" Harry interrupted whatever it was she had been about to tell him. "Haven't the time to chat!"

Then Harry turned himself away from her gobsmacked face, tugged his sleeve away, and ran out of the Great Hall exit.

But as soon as he was in the outside corridor, Harry hadn't the faintest clue of where it was Ginny could have gone. And was left at a loss of what to do for a moment, as he cursed himself for not following her immediately after she ran away.

Then inspiration hit him.  _The Marauders Map!_

Smiling widely at his own genius, and thanking Merlin that his dad, Remus and Sirius had even thought to invent such a marvelous piece of parchment - Harry took out his wand from his robe pocket.

" _Accio Marauders Map!"_  Harry exclaimed, hoping that the spell would actually work. It took a moment of waiting until Harry heard as the whooshing sound of folded-up parchment paper came sounding through the air.

" _Yes!_ " Harry cheered and he lifted his hand up into the air to catch the flying parchment that was zooming towards him. Eagerly pointing his wand at the blank, old paper, Harry immediately said the magical password. " _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!_ "

Harry smirked as the ink started to appear, thinking about how much he wanted to be 'up to no good' with Ginny at that very moment...

It took some time for Harry to find Ginny on the map. But he instantly realized his mistake as soon as he spotted her under the name, ' _Ginevra_  Weasley' rather than Ginny. It made sense, as ' _Ginny_ ' wasn't her given birth name.

But Harry finally found 'Ginevra' and saw that she was sitting high up in the Astronomy Tower, all alone.

Relieved that he had found her, and that she was alone, Harry clutched his broom tighter in his fist as he made his way towards the outdoors...

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A/N: Yay! I finally made them kiss! About time, right? Gotta love that slow burn, though! Please leave a review and tell me what you think! ;)


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

 

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' _I'll miss his green eyes_ …' Ginny thought as she sat on the edge of the Astronomy Tower. ' _They won't look the same after what I had done… they will only look at me with disdain, or worse…_ _ **pity**_ _.'_

 

The thought made Ginny cry harder, as silent tears had been leaking out of her eyes and onto her cheeks. All the while thinking of other things to miss while mourning over the end of her friendship with Harry Potter.

 

She would miss his laugh. She enjoyed making him laugh. It made her feel as though she at least had that small achievement, seeing as being a part of such a large family, it was easy to get overlooked.

 

She would miss his inherent goodness...

 

His bashful humility...

 

His need to help others...

 

She would miss all of these things. Because the fact of the matter was, that she would no longer be so lucky as to experience any attributes that made up Harry Potter ever again. Because Harry was sure to avoid her like the plague.

 

The tears started to come harder... faster, and Ginny felt that she couldn't keep her head upright anymore... and buried her face in her arms - which were wrapped around her knees. Sobbing until she had calmed sufficiently enough to sniffles and slow tears.

 

It was a long moment later, when she suddenly felt the prickling of the hair on the back of her neck rise. And for some odd reason, Ginny felt like she was no longer alone.

 

Slowly raising her head, Ginny looked to her side, expecting someone to be standing behind her...

 

But there was no one there.

 

Frowning, Ginny turned her face forward, and was startled to see Harry Potter floating on a broom in front of her, his expression unreadable.

 

Ginny gasped, mostly in fright, by his sudden appearance in front of her. A hand snapped up to clutch at her heart through her chest, trying to instinctively calm its frantic pace.

 

"H-Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, before suddenly remembering what she had done to him in the Great Hall... "I-I'm so-"

 

But she never had the chance to finish her apology... As Harry chose that exact moment to fly forward and press his lips against hers.

 

Ginny's eyes shot open wide in shock. Staring at his closed ones behind his spectacles.

 

His lips started to move, and Ginny could tell that his passion had a ferocity that she had never before felt in a kiss...

 

It was as though every movement he made was trying to tell her something. Something special and important...

 

A tingling sensation sparked from his lips to hers, leaving behind a deep, pooling heat that Ginny found herself  _wanting_  to drown in.

 

A muddled haze started to take over her intelligent thought and, all of a sudden, Ginny found herself kissing him back.

 

A long groan came from the back of Harry's throat, the moment he realized that Ginny was in equal participation with him. And Ginny responded with her own sounds of approval, before bringing her hands up the hold the sides of his face in place.

 

Even more eager now, Harry greedily reached forward to place both of his hands on her hips, tightening his fingers through the belt loops on her jeans. And Ginny found herself arching towards him...

 

Tugging her closer, Ginny fell off of the ledge of the Astronomy Tower, and landed onto his broom with him. Her sudden extra weight caused the broom to dip in the air slightly, but without breaking his lips from hers, Harry expertly leveled the broom. And as soon as she was at the same level as him, Harry wasted no time in snaking his arms around her waist and tugging her closer, pulling her flush against his chest.

 

Slowly, his broom started to fly forward into the air, drifting away from the Astronomy Tower, and towards the setting sun. The orange glow of the sunset cast an extra warmth upon her that she also felt blossoming in her chest.

 

Quite over her shock now, Ginny lifted her arms and constricted them around his neck, pulling herself against him even tighter.

 

As a response, Harry groaned, as one of hands drifted from around her waist and traveled up the expanse of her back. His touch brought thousands of prickling tingles to break out over her skin, and Ginny couldn't help the responding shudder that shook her body or the needy gasp of breath that escaped from her throat.

 

Harry took advantage of her release of a gasp, by snaking out his tongue and running it along the open seal of her lips. Ginny immediately caught on to what it was he was silently asking for, and eagerly reacted by opening her mouth wider in invitation. Not wasting any time, Harry delved his tongue hungrily, immediately probing the hot, wet cavern of her mouth… seeking out her own tongue with his.

 

As soon they touched, sparks of magic burst forth from the both of them. The swirling caress that she felt coming from him from inside her mouth caused an involuntary shudder up her body and a wetness to start to gather between her legs. Harry trembled in response, and tried to pull her closer everstill.

 

Ginny was tight against him now, practically on top of his lap. But she hadn't the right mind to think of what this would look like to any outside onlookers. Or what all of this even meant in general. All that she could think about were the overwhelming feelings that she felt… and basing all of those actions surrounding those feelings. Because Ginny felt that, in that moment, even without the broom, they would both just float away.

 

A sudden whooshing sound of an object cutting through the air and the rustling of leaves broke them apart, however, as Harry broke contact with her lips with a smacking sound. Ginny stared at him in a daze, her mind trying to catch up to what just happened... what they had done. And it was while Ginny was staring blankly at him, that Harry looked up past her head and...

 

"Oh,  _fuck_!" Harry cursed, and in an expert move, he kept one arm tightly secure around Ginny, while the other reached around her to grab and maneuver the broomstick.

 

They took a sharp dive, while Ginny was forced out of her haze as the adrenaline-induced moment caught up to her. Ginny clung onto him with all of her might, suddenly terrified, seeing as she had never ridden on a broom backwards before.

 

"Harry!" Ginny called, her voice frantic with the wind whipping in her ears. She knew that her long, blowing hair was obscuring Harry's vision.

 

But Ginny looked past Harry's shoulder to the spot they had just been hovering in and saw the smack of a very large branch from the Whomping Willow... slicing right through the air in the spot that they had just been...

 

Harry flew them farther away from the tree, while Ginny still clung tight to him - her one hand fisting in the back of his hair, while her face was tucked tight in the side of his neck.

 

Ginny found that her nerves were shot... her wits scattered. And she was left terrified and confused by what just happened... and she wasn't just referring to the almost accident with the Whomping Willow.

 

Harry... he-he had kissed her...? But why?

 

"Gin?" Harry whispered, concern heavy in his voice.

 

Ginny looked up slightly from her hiding place and saw that they were back at the Astronomy Tower. Harry landed his broom on the smooth, marble floor, and Ginny dropped her legs as well... but her feet couldn't quite meet the floor from Harry's height.

 

Pulling back, Ginny looked down to the floor, not yet able to meet Harry's eyes. Harry's arms fell away from around her.

 

"Can you help me down?" Ginny asked, in a quiet voice.

 

Immediately, Harry snapped to attention and gripped her elbows, helping her off the broom, before dismounting himself.

 

As soon as her feet touched the ground, Ginny walked over to the edge of the Astronomy Tower, sitting crossed legged by the ledge. Harry didn't immediately follow her, but Ginny could still feel his eyes on her back, as she stared out onto the expanse of the Hogwarts grounds... Thinking...

 

After a long moment of silence, she heard Harry huff slightly as he came and plopped himself down next to her. "Gin? Please say something? You're driving me mad..."

 

Ginny frowned thoughtfully as a question plagued her that had never occurred to her before. "Why do you call me that? 'Gin', I mean..."

 

It was then that Ginny finally looked over at him, and saw that his eyes widened in alarm. "D-Do you not want to be called that? Because I could stop-"

 

Ginny immediately shook her head. "No... that's the thing. I  _like_  it when you call me Gin. In fact, I only let  _you_  do it. Because it sounds...  _odd_  coming from anyone else. Too personal, I guess." Her cheeks were flaming as she admitted this out loud. But she held her ground as she stared evenly at him.

 

At her admission, however, Harry's entire face brightened, before admitting himself, "It's not just Gin, either... in my thoughts, I tend to refer to you as my Ginger Firecracker."

 

This visibly surprised Ginny, but it also confirmed some questions that had been racing through her mind since they kissed.

 

Ginny sighed and hugged her knees close to her body, while leaning her back against a pillar. And she stared at Harry until he started to fidget in discomfort.

 

Finally, she inhaled a large breath, before exhaling. And looked down to pick at a stray thread on her jeans. "I-I guess you could say that I'm a little more than confused, Harry... To me, this literally came out from nowhere."

 

A chuckle broke out from Harry and Ginny's gaze snapped to his. "Really? And here I thought I was being entirely too obvious..."

 

Ginny rolled her eyes and managed to crack a grin. "Trust me when I say this, Harry, that subtlety  _is_  your strong suit... You're entirely too mysterious for your own good."

 

Harry seemed rather surprised by her observation, and took a moment to reflect on it silently. His gaze drifted momentarily to the black lake before shifting back to her, a flush starting to grow on his cheeks. "I-er-I never, I mean... you look  _beautiful_ , Gin."

 

Ginny startled by the compliment, feeling obviously rattled. "Y-You actually think that, don't you?" Ginny asked.

 

And before she even finished her question, Harry was nodding. "I was an idiot before, rejecting you the way that I did... I guess the only excuse that I have is that I didn't even know you back then. But after we became friends, and I got to know you for who  _you_  are, and not just Ron's little sister... I began to see how funny you are. How amazingly bright you are, how much of an incredible witch you are... you're also loyal, and devious, and you immediately understand where I'm coming from with my problems. With every trouble that I've had, I've usually had to explain why I was bothered by it in great detail to Ron, Hermione, and every other person in my life, before they could finally understand." Harry reached forward and boldly grabbed her hand. "But you... you were the only one who has ever understood, without me having to explain."

 

Ginny's gaze drifted down to their connected hands and in response, Harry squeezed hers tighter with his.

 

"How long?" Ginny asked, unable to keep the blatant shock out of her voice.

 

"How long, what?" She heard him ask.

 

"How long have you... um, felt these things?"

 

She looked back up at his face as he ran his free hand through his hair - a new habit that he had picked up this year. "I was first aware of it when I saw you again this last summer."

 

Ginny gaped at him. That long?

 

"But I think that I started falling for you long before then. But I didn't realize it because I was far too distracted by everything going on..." Ginny snorted at that, it was typical Harry... To be more focus on his worries then anything else, including his own feelings.

 

Harry chuckled as well and squeezed her hand again.

 

"I was unknowingly jealous of Corner when you were dating him... I would tell anyone who would listen that I didn't think that he was good enough for you. And don't even get me started on Dean... that git." Harry rolled his eyes and Ginny couldn't help but giggle a bit. It was a side of Harry that she had never seen before, his jealous side. At least... not in any correlation to her. Ginny was surprised by how attractive she found it on Harry... while on Dean, it just downright annoyed her.

 

Harry grinned at her obvious amusement, before sobering and saying, "I've fancied you for months and it was downright torture to see you together with Dean..."

 

"Then why didn't you say anything before?"

 

"Hermione told me that you had moved on. That you didn't think of me in that way anymore. So I guess I was just biding my time and hoped that you would change your mind..."

 

Before he even finished his sentence, Ginny was outright laughing. Harry looked at her worriedly and she knew that it probably wasn't the most appropriate time to be outright laughing while Harry was revealing his feelings to her, but she just couldn't help it.

 

" _Harry_..." Ginny giggled as she fought to calm herself. "I don't think that I was ever really  _over_  you...! Sure, I put on a brave face and lied to myself about my feelings. But the truth is, that if you had told me that you fancied me on that first day you arrived at the burrow this last summer, then I would have dumped Dean that very day just to be with you!"

 

Harry stared at her for a long moment, before outright groaning and running a hand down his face, suddenly looking exhausted.

 

"I'm going to throttle Hermione!" Harry exclaimed. "I was going to run downstairs and ask you out that very day! But she stopped me and told me that I shouldn't because you had moved on...!"

 

Ginny laughed outright before replying, "And she also told me that I had to confess my feelings to you before moving on... when, I guess all that I needed to do was to be more open with you, so that you could get to know me, and bide my time until you were ready..."

 

Passionately, Harry nodded excessively. "Yeah! If it weren't for my dear, older sister, we could have been together for  _months_  now and-"

 

Harry suddenly broke off, a look of dawning on his face, and he whipped his gaze to Ginny.

 

"Wait..." Harry said, slowly... carefully... "You- Did you just admit to fancying me back?"

 

His eyes looked so alight with hope, but there was also a reclusiveness to his gaze. As though he was setting himself up better for disappointment. Ginny hated the sight of the barrier he was building, and wanted nothing more than to make it disappear...

 

So she smiled, nodded and said, "Harry... I've fancied you for six years now. Do you really think that it's even possible for me to stop?"

 

The guarded look in his eyes vanished completely, and a beaming smile overtook his face - the largest she had ever seen on him. And without any more hesitation, Harry grabbed Ginny by the shoulders and tugged her close, holding her to him. Her chin rested on his shoulder and her cheek was pressed against his - which Ginny found to be scratchy from the small amount of stubble that wanted to grow through - and Ginny found her arms automatically wrapping around his lean frame.

 

They held each other for quite some time, basking in the warmth the other gave and feeling each other's heartbeat. Until finally, Harry pulled away slightly and looked at her with slightly misty eyes and a fond smile. Ginny's heart skipped a beat and she felt her own eyes become slightly watery, as well. And Ginny realized, in the back of her mind, that they were breathing the same air.

 

Tenderly, Harry reached up a slow hand and tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear... before dropping his hand and cupping her cheek. Ginny found herself leaning into his touch, closing her eyes briefly to indulge a moment to enjoy the wonderful feelings she had.

 

His face was only mere inches away from hers, and as Ginny breathed in, she could smell his scent.

 

"Gin?" Harry whispered, softly. As though he assumed that a loud volume could destroy the delicate atmosphere that they had created.

 

Ginny hummed, before fluttering her eyes open and looked at him through half-lidded eyes.

 

Keeping his eyes locked on hers, Harry leaned in close and rested his forehead against hers. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

 

A smile grew on her face, until she was grinning madly at him like a goon. And she found herself nodding like mad, not able to find any words.

 

Harry grinned wider at her, but before he could do or say anything more, Ginny launched herself forward, while simultaneously gripping her fingers in his hair and pulling him towards her.

 

Her lips locked onto his, trying to coax his own shocked lips to move in tandem with hers. And it only took a moment for him to recover from her abrupt action, to start to participate as well...

 

With a loud groan, Harry lifted his hands and rested them on her waist, then tightened his hold and pulled her closer.

 

Ginny whimpered as Harry almost immediately opened his mouth to run his tongue along the seal of her lips, and she eagerly opened to him.

 

Then there were sparks and magic bursting all around her awareness.

 

And Ginny found herself wondering how she had ever thought that she could ever go without this - without  _him_  - in her life. How had she ever thought that she could be over him?

 

It was as Harry deepened the kiss with her even more, where Ginny came to the conclusion that she must have been delusional...

 

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	32. Chapter 32

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Chapter Thirty-Two

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A buzzing sound rang all around Harry as his tempus alarm woke him up. Startled by the abrupt noise that shook him from his dream, Harry grappled for his wand to cancel the charm.

As soon as he did, Harry dropped his wand on the bed beside him and groaned out loud. He rubbed at his tired eyes and stretched his whole body in a way that was reminiscent of a cat waking up from a long nap.

Harry was exhausted. That much he knew. But the trouble was, he couldn't remember why he was so tired in the first place...

It had only been five hours earlier, when he had stumbled into his dormitory and into bed... where he had promptly fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Why exactly had he stayed up so late?

Then, Harry's eyes snapped open as he remembered...

Last night in the Great Hall, Ginny had kissed him. Then he had frantically flew after her on his broom long after she ran away, and kissed her back! And sweet Merlin, if it wasn't the best kiss of his life!

And then something else came back to his memory...

Ginny... she was  _his girlfriend...!_

A large, goofy grin stretched across his face. Ginny Weasley was  _his_  girlfriend! He could hardly believe it!

Suddenly, all of his tiredness vanished due to the giddiness that he felt, as well as the butterflies bouncing around in his stomach. And he couldn't suppress the grin as he thought of the reason why he had been so tired to begin with. They had stayed up late into the night, spending the time snogging the hours away... Sure, they should have probably spent that time talking through some things to get the clarification that they each needed, but Harry found that it was nearly impossible to stop kissing those pouty lips now that he was actually allowed to. And as soon as he would pull away from her - so that they could catch their breath - he would take one look at her swollen, thoroughly-snogged lips and her flushed face, and found that he couldn't resist leaning in and claiming those lips again.

And Ginny must have felt the same way, if the pulling of his hair had been any indication... One look in the mirror last night before bed told him that his hair had never looked messier after the treatment Ginny inflicted on his locks with her fingers.

Just the memory of her heavy breath, her sweet taste, the way her tongue brushed against his, served to harden his already hardening cock.

He had been unbelievably rigid in his trousers last night while snogging Ginny. And she had been so close, pressed so tight to him, that Harry found it to be a miracle that he hadn't accidentally brushed against his length.

But now wasn't the time to beat off... not when he could be spending this time with his girlfriend.

No one was aware that they were the even together, and Harry planned on rectifying that soon. But first, he wanted a little bit of private time with his beautiful, Ginger Firecracker.

Harry grinned as he shot out of bed, eager to get dressed so that he could go downstairs to find his gorgeous red-head. And as he changed into his school uniform, Harry marveled at the simple fact at how wonderful it felt to be able to refer to Ginny as 'his' in his thoughts and actually have it be true.

Bounding down the stairs, Harry waited near the foot of the Girls staircase. But not too close to be seen as hovering by any of his peers.

Time passed by agonizingly as he continued to wait... At one point, Ron had emerged down the stairs and asked Harry if he had wanted to join him for breakfast. But Harry had declined joining his friend, and with a flush, revealed that he was waiting for Ginny.

Ron seemed pleased by this and clapped Harry on the back in a congratulatory manner, before leaving for the Great Hall, his stomach leading him to the awaiting food.

More time passed and the common room became steadily cleared out of more students. Until, it came to the point where Harry had to admit defeat and assumed that he had already missed Ginny before he had come down to wait for her.

She had probably been waiting for him at the Gryffindor table...

Harry tried not to be disappointed at not seeing Ginny, but it was difficult as he thought of how he had truly wanted to spend his morning. Which was to find a broom closet with Ginny and see if he could cause her lips to swell again with his kisses...

Harry sighed, before pushing off the chair he had been leaning against and trudged out of the common room, making his way to his first class of the day.

For the rest of the morning, Harry had tried to catch a glimpse of his girlfriend in between classes. But he had been unsuccessful so far, and that was the reason behind his ever-worsening mood.

Some part of him wanted to at least see her, if only for a brief second. Just so he could reaffirm that last night hadn't been a dream. That it had been real and that Ginny really, truly was his girlfriend. But, as per usual, luck wasn't on his side, and he found himself wishing that he had another vial of Felix Felicis.

It was as he sat himself down at his place in the Charms classroom next to Ron, did his best mate finally ask him if anything was wrong.

Harry swallowed and licked his chapped lips before asking, hesitantly, "Y-You haven't seen your sister anywhere, perchance, have you?"

Ron frowned at him before shaking his head. "No... I thought that you spent time with her this morning?"

Harry shook his head, trying not to look in too deeply into the fact that Ginny hadn't been in the Great Hall that morning... "I never saw her in the common room. And I haven't seen her in the halls between classes."

Ron shrugged nonchalantly. "She probably went to the kitchens for breakfast this morning. You know that she developed a soft spot for Dobby since you gave her access to free food any time that she wanted."

Ron's words caused Harry to feel slightly better. It was true that Ginny loved to go down to the kitchens. But he was left slightly disappointed that she would rather go there than to spend time with him before classes. But he shook off the feeling immediately. He would see Ginny before the end of the day. He would make sure of it.

Behind him, he heard a scoff and both Ron and Harry turned to see Hermione sitting behind them. Harry hadn't even noticed that she had come in. "You two both know that house elves shouldn't have to wait on your beck and call just because you happen to know of the entrance to the kitchens. This is precisely why we need S.P.E.W! I'll be having some words with Ginny about going there and-"

"Lay off it, Hermione!" Ron interrupted, aggravated. "For the last time, house elves like work! It's households like the Malfoys that they don't like."

Hermione had been about to argue, before Harry intervened. "You haven't seen Ginny, have you, Hermione?"

Hermione paused, before shaking her head. "Sorry, Harry. I haven't. But if I do, I'll let her know that you are looking for her."

Hermione hesitated briefly before asking, "So, how did it go last night?"

This question piqued Ron's interest as well, and both of his best mates stared as Harry's face started to flush scarlet. And despite his worries about Ginny's whereabouts, Harry couldn't help but grin slightly as he was reminded of the night before.

Seeing Harry's smile, caused both of his friends to grin in return.

"Congrats, mate!" Ron said. "Though I would say that it was about damn time..."

"Ronald!" Hermione warned as the curse fled Ron's mouth. Before she turned excited eyes on Harry. "Tell me everything! Did you kiss her? Did you tell her that you fancy her? Is she your girlfriend now? Are you-"

But Hermione hadn't the chance to finish her questioning, nor did Harry have the chance to answer any. Because at that moment, Professor Flitwick chose to walk in through the door.

"Turn to chapter Thirty-two in your text, please." He said in a pleasant tone and the class obeyed.

On top of the desk, Harry opened his textbook to the respective page. But silently, he reached into his knapsack and pulled out another book... a different book.

Underneath his desk, Harry stealthily opened the book he had placed on his lap, and silently tried to flip through the pages as Flitwick began his lecture.

Every so often, his eyes would flit down to see if he had made it to the right page. Until, finally, he made it to the section that he had been looking for...

THE MYTHOS OF RETURNING THE DEAD TO THE LIVING:

Resurrection of the dead has been a subject that had been studied by many wizards and witches for centuries. And most have come to the conclusion that there is no magical way of returning the dead, after many years of speculation and research. Despite this, there are still wizards that come forward with new ideas to return the dead. Despite none of these ideas ever being successful, one can't help but wonder when the right witch or wizard will come along with the right idea. As we explore into some of these ideas, we can see that-

"Mr. Potter!"

Harry jumped in his seat, rattling where his book rested on his thighs, causing it to tumble to the floor with a resounding thud.

All the heads of everyone in the classroom turned towards him... eyes staring as they watched Harry's cheeks started to darken in embarrassment from the sudden, unwanted attention.

He could almost physically feel the hard, disapproving stare Hermione was giving to the back of his head.

Professor Flitwick's eyes flitted down to the book that had dropped for a brief moment, before snapping back up to Harry - a look of critical disappointment on his face. "Perhaps," Professor Flitwick began with a disapproving tone. "If you were to pay more attention to the lesson than your casual reading, Mr. Potter, you would hear me when I call on you for answers."

Harry looked down at his hands, embarrassed by the public reprimand. "S-Sorry, Professor. It won't happen again..."

Professor Flitwick sighed, his disappointment in Harry clear on his face. "Not as sorry as I am... Detention tonight, Mr. Potter. You can review the chapter that we just covered then."

Harry's mouth fell open, wanting to protest, but knowing that he shouldn't... that it would only result in worse punishment for him if he argued. And besides... he was in the wrong... he hadn't been paying attention.

Harry slumped in his chair, defeated, and gave a mute nod of acceptance. Professor Flitwick gave a curt nod in return before turning back to the rest of the class, continuing his lecture. And though Harry had just been called out for not paying attention, Harry found his thoughts drifting, far away from listening to the words Professor Flitwick was saying...

It felt like a long time later before the class finally ended, a fact that Harry was glad for as he stood and collected his things to put in his knapsack.

"Mr. Potter, could you stay behind for a moment?" Professor Flitwick's voice came from the front of the class.

Harry sighed, his eyes still glued to the door that he wanted to escape through... to get the chance to finally find and greet his girlfriend for the day before they had to separate for their next classes...

His shoulders slumped and he turned towards his Professor and nodded mutely, before stepping closer to the front of the classroom.

Harry stopped in front of the desk that Professor Flitwick was sitting at, which was an abnormally large size for the small man.

Professor Flitwick folded his hands together, staring evenly at Harry - in a way that caused Harry to fidget from the gaze. Finally, Flitwick released his breath and spoke, "Harry, I couldn't help but notice how... distracted you've become in my classes, lately. Today certainly wasn't the first time that I caught you with a book underneath your desk, but it is the first day that I have called you out on it."

Harry's face flushed crimson at the realization that he hadn't been as stealthy as he thought he was being.

"Now, I realize that I've been showing an unfair amount of favoritism towards you. An occurrence that can no longer go on. But I must ask, is there something that seems to be bothering you, Harry? Any trouble that you need my assistance on?"

As Harry stared at his Professor, he was tempted... Tempted to blurt out his troubles with his research. Tempted to ask the Professor if he knew anything about resurrection. But Harry had to bite his tongue. It couldn't get out to any more people that Harry had the coveted Resurrection Stone in his possession. Because if more people found out, it wouldn't just be Voldemort hunting him down...

So Harry shook his head. "No, Professor. I've just been researching into new topics for the next D.A. meeting. But it won't happen again, I promise." Harry lied.

Flitwick stared at Harry for a moment, before nodding himself. "Alright, Mr. Potter. You best be off then to get to your next class. You'll get instructions for your detention at dinner."

Harry nodded morosely, before turning to the door. But halfway to it, Harry paused and turned back to the Professor. "T-Thanks for your concern, Professor."

Flitwick smiled slightly as he waved off his thanks, and Harry turned back to the door.

As soon as he stepped out of the Charms classroom, however, it was to find someone waiting for him...

"Hello, Harry. Might we have a small chat?"

Harry stared at her, mild confusion and bewilderment at her wanting to have a conversation with him. "Er... sure?"

Meyetta smiled at him and beckoned him closer to the wall that she was propped against, which was opposite of the Charms classroom door.

Harry frowned slightly and his eyebrows drew together, wondering what it was that Ginny's roommate had to say to him. But Harry didn't let the contemplation stop him from stepping closer anyways, and it was as he settled himself against the wall next to her, when a thought came to him. Was this about Ginny? Was she sick? Or in trouble? Harry worriedly stressed over these worrisome ideas before a worse thought took root in his mind...

Did Ginny now regret getting together with him? And because of that regret, did she send Meyetta to end things with him on Ginny's behalf?

Harry felt his muscles tense at the thought as panic started to grow within him.

It would explain why he hadn't been able to find Ginny this morning... Perhaps, in the light of day, she was now ashamed of what happened. And because of that, maybe Ginny was avoiding him...

There was a part of him that wanted to deny it, but there was also a stray thought that reminded him that Ginny had avoided him before...

When Harry didn't say anything else after settling next to her, Meyetta chose to speak first.

"I-It's about Ginny." Meyetta said nervously, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. And it seemed that she wasn't quite able to meet Harry's eye for longer than a couple of seconds before they would shift to the side or the floor.

At the confirmation that what she had to talk about with him was, in fact, about Ginny - Harry felt a tightening in his chest as he tried to remind himself not to panic prematurely before she had even revealed anything. "Wh-what about Ginny?"

Harry stared at the fifth-year girl in front of him with imploring eyes, hoping against hope that what she said next wouldn't completely shatter his heart to pieces. The girl in question seemed to fidget under his intense gaze and looked to her shuffling feet. "Well... I thought that you ought to know - that you had a right to know - before you got in too deep with her..."

'Too late for that...' Harry thought in response. He was in so deep with Ginny Weasley that he hadn't the hope of ever finding his way out of the deep pit of feelings he had for her. There would always be a large part of his heart that lingered on Ginny Weasley. And there was nothing he could do to change that.

"At the party, after you had disappeared-" Harry's mind briefly questioned why she had noticed Harry's disappearance. "-Seamus, Lavender, the Patil twins, Josephine and I were getting a game of truth or dare together. We wanted a couple more players and Seamus didn't want to be the only bloke playing in our group... So, when I saw Ginny with Colin - who both looked well on their way to getting plastered - I knew that they would agree to play. And they did, but before we started the game, Seamus pulled out a potion bottle that he had gotten from Weasley's Wizard Weezes."

As Harry listened to the bizarre rambling the girl was disclosing to him, he wondered what the point of any of this was. Did she think that Harry would disapprove of Ginny drinking? Because Harry had no room to judge in that department...

"The potion was called an 'Integrity Potion', and it was used solely for games such as Truth or Dare. We each put a drop on our tongues and it would make us tell the truth or do the dare assigned to us. It wouldn't allow anything life-threatening, mind you, but it caused the players to have, well, integrity while playing."

Harry's eyes widened as he listened to Fred and George's invention. It sounded like a complex and extremely difficult potion to create, and Harry found himself impressed with the twins. And was glad, not for the first time, that he had invested his Tri-Wizard Tournament winnings towards the twins starting up their business.

"Seamus was dared to sing a love ballad to Hermione while stripping off his shirt, and it made him do it! His eyes glowed briefly and the potion made him get up and do the dare. After that, we were all a little afraid of doing dares, so we all started picking truth. Colin, for example, was asked why he took pictures of you, and he said that he used to have a crush on you and that he is gay."

Harry's jaw dropped at this revelation. But it wasn't the actual secret that shocked him the most - he had always had a suspicion about Colin from the way he always acted around Harry. But he was more shocked that the girl in front of him was so comfortable telling him someone else's personal business.

But before he had a chance to regain his composure and call her out on it, Meyetta continued speaking. "Ginny hadn't been chosen yet by the time it was my turn to spin the bottle. And when I did, it landed on her. For some reason, she decided to pick dare instead of truth... even after seeing Seamus go through his embarrassing display. So-So, I dared her to do something that she really didn't want to do..."

Harry waited, his eyebrows puckered as listened for what Ginny's dare had been.

"I dared her to kiss you in the Great Hall the next day."

Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise, momentarily, before they drew down as his mood darkened considerably...

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A/N: Please leave a review! :)


	33. Chapter 33

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Chapter Thirty-Three

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Ginny Weasley had overslept.

It was an accidental occurrence that happened to everyone at some point. But the only difference was, that usually the person who overslept felt some sort of guilt for not getting up in time.

Ginny didn't feel this at all...

_Well_...

Actually, she  _did_  feel guilty for forgetting to set her tempus alarm the night before. But the  _circumstances_  for her exhaustion to cause her to oversleep? She would never apologize to anyone for it.

So, it was as Ginny was whipping around her dorm room - trying to dress herself to look somewhat presentable - where she was trying, and failing, to suppress a secret grin on her lips.

She  _should_  be more focused on the fact that she had accidentally slept through most of her first class... but her mind couldn't help but stray to the night before... to  _Harry_.

Her suppressed smile grew as she thought of him. Her mind replaying over and over to the way he had gone after her after she had run from the Great Hall... to how he hadn't been able to hold back his desire to kiss her when he had found her... and how afterwards, they had snogged for  _hours_...!

She couldn't believe that  _Harry Potter,_  the boy she had fancied for five years,  _actually fancied her back_!

Sure, there had always been a part of her that hoped that this day would come... the day where Harry would confess his undying love for her. But a large part of her always told herself that it would never happen. Because what would Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, ever see in frumpy, little Ginny Weasley?

And sure, he hadn't confessed his undying love to her last night, but the idea that it could one day happen didn't seem so ridiculous or far-fetched to her anymore. Not after he had confessed his fancy for her and asked her to be his girlfriend.

Forgetting to suppress her grin, Ginny was now outright beaming as she straightened her tie around her neck.

Because she, Ginny Weasley, was Harry Potter's  _girlfriend!_

And damn it all to bloody smithereens if she wasn't exasperatingly happy about it!

Slipping her feet into her pair of Maryjanes, Ginny quickly left her dorm, feeling happier than she remembered being for quite some time.

...

The rest of the morning dragged on in a quite agonizingly slow fashion. She had already sat through Transfiguration and History of Magic. But Ginny found herself not quite able to pay attention. Because it was sometime during Professor Binns' droning lecture, that Ginny realized with a start that Harry must think that she had blown him off this morning! Sure, they hadn't made any plans to meet each other before classes started for the day, but it was certainly implied… seeing as it was their first official day together as boyfriend and girlfriend!

She cursed herself internally as Professor Binns droned on about ogre wars. It was just what Harry and her needed...! More misunderstandings between them.

There were still so many obstacles between them that needed to be cleared away. Ginny had a deep desire to understand everything about Harry Potter... To be let into his mysterious mind, even the parts he hadn't ever dared to share with Ron and Hermione.

But Ginny wasn't daft. She knew that it would take more than just her title as his girlfriend to get Harry to open up about those things. The only things that would get Harry to talk to her about such things were time and trust. Both of which Ginny was willing to wait around for, even if it took years.

A slight smile grew to her lips as she thought about Harry being worth the wait. She had already waited five years for him to notice her... what was a few more? Especially if Ginny could spend that time snogging Harry in the meantime.

All that Ginny knew now was that she had to find Harry as soon as possible after class.

As soon as the bell rang and she stepped out of the door, however, Ginny realized that she didn't have to go all that far to find him.

Because leaning against the wall opposite of her classroom door, was Harry himself... seeming to be lost in thought as he waited.

Her heart stopped the second that she saw him, before it started to beat erratically in her chest. He really was so handsome... she was attracted to every part of him. From his shaggy, black hair and piercing, green eyes... down to his round glasses and lightning-bolt scar.

And he was all hers... it was a one-sided infatuation no longer. Because they belonged to each other.

Ginny couldn't help but grin widely at the thought and wasted no time in stepping closer to him.

"Harry!" She exclaimed, surprising herself slightly at how excited and pleased her own voice sounded.

Harry's attention snapped up to look at her, his eyes roaming her form as the slightest of smiles came to his lips.

Ginny paused short just before him. She had been about to invade his personal space and snog the living daylights out of him as her own form of a 'hello'. But something stopped her...

It was his eyes, she realized. They looked...  _worried_.

"Hey, Gin." Harry said, pushing himself off of the wall slightly. Ginny relaxed slightly at his use of her nickname, telling herself that if he was still using it that he wasn't worried or upset with anything that had to do with  _her_... right?

Harry lifted an exhausted hand up and ran it through his shaggy hair, causing it to look even more messy than before.

"Are you free?" He asked with a nervous hesitance. "There's something that I need to talk to you about that I think that you should know."

Panic overcame her instantly and her entire body froze as soon as she heard the words. He couldn't  _possibly_... so  _soon_?! What had she done to warrant  _this_? Did he regret everything that he had told her last night?

These thoughts ran through her mind, but the panic kept her from voicing them, as she felt it physically constrict and take hold of her throat... But Harry must have seen the panic on her face, because he was immediately consoling.

" _No_!" Harry blurted out in alarm, before reaching forward to grab her hand. "It's not what you think. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about where  _you and I_ are concerned."

Ginny searched his eyes imploringly and saw the truth shining back at her through his green gaze.

Releasing the breath that she had been holding, Ginny squeezed the hand that held hers and nodded in relief. "A-Alright. Now that the brief panic attack you gave me is over, what would you like to talk to me about?"

Harry looked all around, noticing that there were lingering students that were staring at them with curious gazes.

Tugging her hand, Harry made a decision and started to move down the hall, with Ginny trailing behind him. Her confusion keeping her silent as she was pulled along by him.

He didn't stop until they got to a deserted hallway, and Harry pulled back a tapestry for them to hide behind.

They both stepped behind the drapery, and Harry busied himself with straightening the fabric to make sure that they were really hidden.

Ginny's face flushed scarlet as she looked around the showed area and realized how alone they were now. Even a brief memory of Harry catching her snogging Dean behind a tapestry came to mind, before she pushed it away. Choosing to focus on this moment as excitement pumped through her veins, causing her beating heart to go erratic with speed.

Forgetting that he wanted to talk to her about something, Ginny had been prepared to jump into his arms and do things to him that would make McGonagall frown in disapproval... But as Harry turned to face her, he still had that worried expression on his face...

Ginny was about to ask him what was wrong. Was it something that he learned of involving the prophecy? Or perhaps his parents? Did he find a way to resurrect them, but found that the cost was too high? Or maybe it was simpler than that and he was having trouble with the D.A.?

"Y-You're not friends with your roommate, Meyetta, are you?" Harry asked, suddenly.

Ginny frowned, wondering why they were choosing this time to talk about her roommate. "No, not particularly. Why do you ask?"

For some reason, this answer brought a sigh of relief from Harry.

"I found her outside my Charms classroom. Sh-She told me about the dare, Gin..."

Ginny's eyes widened considerably, and a feeling of dread overcame her. He was sure to break up with her now that he knew about the dare! He was bound to think that she wasn't actually interested in a relationship with him... she  _had_ to set the record straight before it was too late!

Stepping closer and grabbing his other hand, Ginny frantically said, "Harry, let me explain! You see, that night I-"

Harry detached one of his hands from hers and brought it up to cup her cheek, bringing their foreheads together. "Shh... I know. You don't have to explain. I don't care about the dare."

Harry then leaned back slightly and smirked at her. "In fact, I'm actually glad for it. It pushed us together, didn't it? Can you imagine if we wasted even more time than we already had?"

Ginny stared at him in what she could only imagine resembled a gaping fish. "You-You're not mad...?"

Harry let out a huff of laughter, while shaking his head, as if the mere idea was ridiculous to him. " _Merlin, no_! Why would I be when the dare was that the most  _beautiful girl_  that I know had to kiss  _me_?! Scarhead Potter... Practically every bloke in the school would  _curse_ their  _mother_ to be in my place!"

Ginny still stared at him in shock, unable to comprehend what he was telling her.

Harry squeezed her hand again and brought his other hand up to run nervously through his hair. His eyes were suddenly shy again, as though he were afraid that he had blurted out too much. "Er... yeah... so, the reason I even brought up the dare was because when Meyetta told me, it seemed as though she were telling me in a vindictive way... almost as though she was trying to hurt you."

Harry frowned at the thought, before continuing, "I just wanted to make sure that you didn't see her as a friend. And to tell you to be careful around her. Because she obviously doesn't care about you, Gin."

With every word he said, Ginny felt her features softening. "Harry, I... well, thank you. And I think that you're right about Meyetta... in fact, I would add on to it by saying that  _you_  should be careful around her too..."

Harry seemed quite perplexed by this - if the slight pucker of his eyebrows was anything to go by.

Ginny stared at him as his mind tried to work out her words, before she grinned deviously and stepped closer to him. This action sure got Harry's attention, as his eyes widened comically and his head snapped in her direction. Ginny grinned wider as she pressed herself closer, pushing him back until he was backed against the castle wall. Her hand went up to trace his face, and she could hear as his breath got more laboured... just as his eyes got heavier... with desire... for  _her_.

A burst of confidence found a home inside of Ginny at the look he was giving her, and she pressed even closer... putting her body flush against his..

She could feel the heat that his tall body was emitting. The heavy puffs of his breath that hit her cheek, a sensation that made her eyelids flutter ever-so-slightly. His heartbeat beating just as erratically out of his chest as it was in hers.

They were touching practically everywhere except for the lips, but Ginny found that it was the most intimate that she had ever felt with anyone in her life.

Finally, Harry's mind seemed to have fully caught up with her actions, as he lifted his arms and wrapped them around her waist, pressing her tighter.

" _Gin_..." He breathed, her name coming out as the barest of sounds.

But his voice seemed to spark something in her, and she found that she needed to be even closer.

One moment, she was looking deep into Harry's eyes, basking in the intimacy of his closeness... and the next, her lips were upon his.

It only took a mere second before he responded to her kiss, his lips moving in tandem with hers.

Her hands were everywhere that she could reach. His mess of hair... his muscular neck... his broad shoulders. While Harry's hands stayed in one spot, which were currently fisting the fabric of her shirt at the hem.

Her white, button-down was bound to get wrinkled by the time they were done with each other. In fact, Ginny found herself not caring at all about the state of her dress.

She was more concerned with the way Harry bit her bottom lip with his teeth... A sensation that caused her to gasp, while he took advantage and delved his tongue in her mouth to meet hers.

As soon as the kiss deepened, sparks burst in her body, dampening her awareness all the while.

"... Speckled Chocolate Trout is way better than Peppermint Pig Snout!" A young, boyish voice exclaimed as it walked past the tapestry.

Harry and Ginny immediately broke apart with a gasp of breath. The voice serving to invade their personal bubble.

"No way! You're bloody mad if you think-" A different voice responded as they walked further down the hall.

It was a tense and quiet moment as they fought to catch their breath… waiting until the two, young boys were out of range before they dared to breath a word. It was clear that they could have been caught… both of them had forgotten to set up a silencing charm, and it wasn't as though they were being entirely too quiet with their snogging...

"Hmmm..." Harry mused, finally breaking the silence.

Ginny shot him a curious look. "What is it?" She only dared to whisper.

"They were both wrong. Speckled Chocolate Trout and Peppermint Pig Snout both have nothing on Bertie Bots Every Flavor Beans..."

Ginny quirked an eyebrow at him as she suppressed a snort. Harry grinned. "What? It's a surprise with every bite! You're never sure what you are going to get..."

Ginny laughed outright at this. "Well, I guess that's just the adventurer in you who is always looking out for trouble to get involved in..."

"I don't find trouble. Trouble always finds me."

Ginny snickered and snuck another peck against his lips before he said anything more. "Keep telling yourself that. You run headlong into danger with no hesitation each and every time. It doesn't help that you get encouragement from Ron and..."

Ginny trailed off and gasped as her eyes widened in horror.

...

Harry watched as Ginny stopped in the middle of her teasing tirade and gasped, looking as though she had seen a ghost...

Well, that's probably not the best analogy to compare to while in Hogwarts... where ghosts haunted practically every corridor.

Alarmed by her expression, Harry immediately stiffened. "What's wrong?"

Ginny bit her lip. "How are we going to break the news to Ron? Without him killing you...?"

Harry stared at her for a second, confused, before he remembered that Ginny had no idea that Ron approved of them being together. In fact, he had practically  _begged_ Harry to fancy Ginny when she was with Dean, before Ron knew that Harry already fancied her. But Harry wasn't about to tell his girlfriend any of this... lest he get his best mate in trouble with his sister.

Harry chuckled. "He already knows. At least, he knows that I fancy you. And he approves."

Ginny stared at him with wide eyes and raised eyebrows before a slow grin grew on her lips. "Good. I fancy my new boyfriend to be among the living. You being killed by my brother would just complicate matters..."

Harry laughed outrageously at that, before he calmed and shook his head with a satisfied sigh. "It's not as though you wouldn't be able to still see me, even if Ron had killed me. I would make sure that you got the Resurrection Stone, and then you would be able to talk to me anytime."

Ginny made a face at that suggestion. "And date a  _ghost_?" Ginny shook her head. "No thanks."

Then in a move that surprised Harry, she stepped close once again and wrapped her arms around his middle, resting her head on his chest, right over his heartbeat. "I would miss your warmth too much..."

Harry softened and wrapped his arms around her, as well, then kissed the side of her forehead.

It felt strange and liberating - at the same time - to be able to hold her like this, and at any time he wanted. It left him in awe that Ginny would allow him to touch her like this now, all because she fancied him back. A fact that still managed to shock Harry while simultaneously making his heart beat faster.

Not to mention that his cock had hardened as soon as he saw her. He was lucky that he had managed to keep his hips tilted away from her while she pressed her body against his as they snogged.

Harry grinned as he remembered the feeling of her mouth moving against his... the way their tongues danced a waltz as old as time...

Or was it more like a tango...?

It certainly felt more passionate and... well,  _hotter_  than a waltz.

"I'm sorry if you were looking for me this morning." Ginny suddenly whispered against his shoulder, before pulling away and looking up at his face. "I overslept. I was too tired when I got to my dorm last night and forgot to set my tempus alarm…"

Upon hearing this, Harry couldn't help but smirk. "Tired, were you?"

Ginny narrowed her eyes and playfully hit him on the shoulder. "Oh, shut it, Harry!" But she didn't seem annoyed in the least. In fact, her eyes crinkled with amusement.

"I also wanted to know if you were free tonight?" Ginny added. "I think that we, uh, had gotten too caught up last night to talk over some things… You know, clear the air between us, along with some misconceptions?"

Harry found himself nodding and had been about to vocally agree out loud, before he paused and groaned out in frustration. "I can't… I got detention with Flitwick tonight."

At her questioning look, Harry clarified. "I, er, was sort of reading underneath my desk for the past couple of weeks, and Flitwick finally called me out on it."

"Oh." Ginny said, still looking confused. "What were you reading exactly?"

Harry swallowed heavily and shifted his eyes down. "Uh, you know…  _resurrection…_ "

He didn't know why he suddenly felt uncomfortable talking about this with her. It had been Ginny's thinking that led to the idea that resurrection could be possible with the stone. Perhaps it was because of the absolute failures he had come up with in his research? Could it be that he was ashamed that he was actually becoming frustrated with the lack of results? And not only that, but embarrassed to admit it, too?

Harry forced himself to meet Ginny's eyes, and saw her gaze intently searching his… her eyes clearly portraying the worry that she held for him. But she didn't say anything, nor did she push. Though, Harry could practically see the wheels turning inside of her beautiful mind.

Harry sighed and regretfully pulled away from her. "Can I walk you to class?" He asked, wanting just a tad bit more time with her.

Ginny nodded slowly, before looking down at herself and seeing the result of what their snogging did to her shirt. She snorted and looked up at Harry with a glint in her eye. "You couldn't have been more kind to my clothing, could you?"

Harry grinned, glad for the subject change. "But where would the fun be in that?"

Then he reached up and tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear. "I  _want_ everyone to know that we are together…"

Ginny rolled her eyes, but still couldn't keep the grin off of her face. Before she cleared her throat and stepped back from him, attempting to straighten the wrinkles in her blouse. "Er, so should we be going?"

Harry smirked and nodded, stepping forward to hold the tapestry up for Ginny to get through.

But before they took a step towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Harry boldly reached forward and clasped her hand in his, threading their fingers together.

They started out walking in silence. Both red-faced as they passed by students who gawked at their clasped hands. Loud whispers reached their ears about them being a couple, with some students claiming that they saw Harry and Ginny's relationship coming.

It was as they were climbing the last staircase to Ginny's class, when Ginny piped up with a question. "So when Meyetta told you about the dare, what did you say?"

Harry scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I actually got rather angry at her. And, well, I told her that I thought that it happened to be the best dare ever…"

His answer served to surprise Ginny. But that surprise slowly turned into a pleased smile, glad that she had a boyfriend was willing to see reason with misunderstandings.

…..

As they came up the last corridor, up ahead, they could see as Snape stepped out from the classroom. His eyes roamed around the halls until he spotted Harry and Ginny. His beady eyes immediately zeroing in on where Ginny's hand was clasped in Harry's, and sneered at the sight of their physical contact.

" _Potter_!" Snape barked out in a fierce tone. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and detention! For inappropriate touching and being in a place you aren't expected to be."

Harry gaped at Snape, the suddenness of the point-loss leaving him momentarily stunned... before anger started to build in his gut. "Y-You can't do that!"

Snape sneered even further, his nose turning up in what Harry perceived to be disgust. "Just like your father... flaunting your fame just as he flaunted his popularity!" Snape snapped. "Showing off with witches and money, same as he did."

Ginny stepped forward then, an angry frown on her lips and fire in her gaze. "Well, then you're going to have to give me detention, too. Because I'm  _'inappropriately'_ touching Harry, as well."

There was an odd look in Snape's eyes as he glanced at Ginny... a haunted look that made him seem to age before Harry's very eyes. "...But you are precisely where you are meant to be, Weasley. And from the way that I see it, it was  _Mr._   _Potter_  who is inappropriately touching  _you_."

Ginny's frown deepened and the fire in her eyes grew. But there was also determination set in her eyes.

Then, Harry watched, with wide eyes, as Ginny unclasped her hand from his, held it up for Snape to see, before reaching behind and landing it firmly on Harry's arse.

Harry jumped from the unexpected contact, but not enough to dislodge Ginny's hand from his arse...

With a glare that Harry was glad wasn't directed at him, Ginny declared, "Is  _this_  inappropriate enough for you?"

Harry couldn't believe what was going on...! Ginny, his girlfriend, had a hand  _on his arse_ , in front of  _Snape_ , of all people! If only they were alone at this very moment, so then Harry could return the gesture on her...

Snape looked on with disgust written over his features. "Fifty points from Gryffindor. Now  _get in the classroom, Weasley_."

Snape's tone left for no argument, and Ginny sighed, defeated as she retracted her hand and shot an apologetic look at Harry. "I'll see you later."

"At lunch?" Harry asked hopefully. But the only response that he got from his Ginger Firecracker as she walked away, was for her to turn her head and wink at him before disappearing through the classroom door.

Harry couldn't fight against the smile that wanted to creep onto his lips as he watched her disappear. But the smile promptly vanished at the sight of Snape still glaring at him from by the door. Harry glowered right back, leaving Snape with no other option than to send Harry one last sneer before striding into the classroom and slamming the door behind him.

...

Harry sighed as he sat down in his place at the Gryffindor table, dropping the book onto the table and sliding it forward towards Hermione - who sat across from him.

"Another dead end..." Harry sighed, returning the book he had been caught reading in Flitwick's classroom to her.

Sparing a glance at the book in front of her, Hermione sighed regretfully. "And I thought for sure that this one had at least  _a bit_  of promise..."

Harry shook his head in negative as he loaded his plate with an assortment of food. "All that it spoke of was the  _possibility_  of theories, and not the actual theories themselves..."

Hermione scoffed as she cut into a piece of turkey, "Then the title of the book was misleading then, wasn't it?"

Harry couldn't help but agree, as he stared at the cover of the offending book in question... ' _Theories to Bringing Back the Dead_ '.

He couldn't help but feel a tad bit...  _discouraged_  by yet  _another_  failure... another dead end.

"Do you want to look again tonight?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head, spearing some green beans with his fork. "Can't. Flitwick gave me detention for reading during the lesson."

" _Professor_  Flitwick, Harry," Hermione corrected, then fixed him with a stern look. "And it honestly serves you right. You should have been paying attention."

Harry sighed, popping his fork into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. "Don't I know it... Ginny asked me if I could spend time with her tonight, but I told her that I couldn't, because I have detention..."

Despite the fact that Hermione had just been scolding him, she couldn't help but beam at him with happiness. "Oh, Harry! I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that you and Ginny are together! You two make the perfect match. I'm rather relieved that you had moved on from your infatuation with Cho, as I didn't see the two of you as very compatible, and-"

"Hermione!" Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Take a breath before you wind up in the hospital wing!"

"But isn't that your usual place to wind up in, mate?" Ron asked from behind him, as he settled himself down in the seat to Harry's left.

Harry shot him a look while Hermione let out an amused giggle.

Ron held up his hands defensively. "What? Can't knock what's true, right mate? I mean, you've got to admit that Madame Pomfrey should have a bed specifically just for you to use."

Hermione closed the book that had been open next to her and commented, "Do you think that she would conjure a plaque above the bed?"

Ron laughed outright at this. "Bloody right idea, that is! What would it be labeled? ' _Property of Mr. Harry James Potter: The Boy-Who-Gets-Injured-A-Lot'_.

" _Guys…_!" Harry tried to interject.

Hermione nodded enthusiastically, as a brainstorming glint came to her eye. "Ooooh yes! And then, at the bottom, there should be a tally of the number of visits he has made so far."

Both of his best mates were now both laughing at his expense, and though Harry was glad to see the two of them getting along and in such high spirits, he couldn't help but feel the embarrassment creep up his neck in the form of a flush.

Noticing this, Hermione sobered slightly. "Oh, Harry… We're sorry. We're only teasing…"

Hermione sent a shy smile at Ron, as he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, mate. No hard feelings."

Harry rolled his eyes at the pair of them, but smiled all the same. Glad to see that they were at least getting along rather than arguing as they usually did.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and Ginny was sliding into the bench on his right side. "You prats leave him alone…!" Ginny stated with a teasing smile of her own, before sliding sideways, leaning into Harry's side. Harry immediately wrapped his arm around Ginny's waist, securing her close to him. "He's delicate."

Ron and Hermione immediately burst out in laughter, while Harry turned on the spot and shot a betrayed look at his girlfriend. "Y-You're supposed to be on my side!" Harry complained.

Ginny - who had been laughing along with his traitorous friends - had been about to respond in a consoling and apologetic manner, but didn't. Because at that moment, Susan Bones had walked up and shyly sat in front of Ron, next to Hermione.

"H-Hi, Ron." Susan stuttered in a soft tone. "I was wondering if it was alright that I wore orange for my dress…? Do you think that you would be alright with wearing a bowtie of the same color?"

Everyone, expect for Ron, stared at her in silent confusion. Harry, in particular, wondered what in Merlin's name she was talking about.

Ron shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure, orange is fine."

Susan smiled slightly, before replying as she got up from her seat. "Alright. I will order it along with my dress."

Then she was gone, making her way back to her squealing friends at the Hufflepuff table.

As soon as she was gone, Ron started to load his plate with an obscene amount of food. All the while, the rest of them stared at him in question. Wondering what in Merlin's name had Ron done?

Hermione, herself, seemed rather tense as Harry snuck a peak over at her. Her back was ramrod straight and she looked at Ron with eyes as wide as galleons.

Of course, it was Ginny who spoke up first. "What in  _Merlin's name_  was that about,  _Ronald Billius Weasley_?!"

Ron's head snapped up from where he was promptly stuffing his face - where he had been previously oblivious to the tense atmosphere he had created. "Whaph dop yophu mephn?" He spoke around the food in his mouth, before visibly swallowing.

"What I  _mean_ , you  _prat…_ " Ginny started, her voice tense and dangerous sounding. Harry had to mentally tell himself that now was not the time to get turned on by her fiery attitude. "...is why Susan Bones was talking to you about dress colours and bowties?!"

Ron looked at his sister as though he thought that she was mental. "Well, isn't it bloody obvious? She asked me to the ball, and I said yes."

Harry's eyes now widened as he finally caught up to the same conclusion that Ginny and Hermione had already come to.

"B-But what about Hermione?!" Ginny exclaimed.

Harry was looking straight at his sister, whose face looked entirely mortified. Hermione looked as though she wanted to sink into the floor and stay there for all eternity.

" _Gin_ …" Harry tried to interject, but Ron responded before he could say anything more.

"What about  _Hermione_? She's already going to the ball with Harry!" Ron said back, starting to get agitated with his own sister.

But soon, Ron's words finally seemed to register with Harry. He  _was_ going to the ball with Hermione…! He had completely forgotten that he had asked her, with it being so long ago… Which means that he couldn't go to the ball with Ginny…!

As he contemplated this, Ron finally seemed annoyed enough to get up and storm away from the table… muttering something about going to the kitchens to get a lunch in peace away from harping sisters.

They were all quiet after he left, each thinking the same thing, no doubt…

After a long, tense moment of silence, Hermione cleared her throat - her face still flaming. "O-Of course you don't have to go to the ball with me still, Harry-"

"Don't be ridiculous," Ginny interrupted. "Of course he will still go with you."

Harry's head whipped to look at her fast, his face showing his complete shock. Ginny shot him a look that told him not to argue. "What? Do you really expect me to be alright with you ditching Hermione to go to a silly ball with little 'ol me? You can't do that to her, Harry…"

"Ginny, it's fine-" Hermione started to say, before Ginny flashed the same look at her that she had been giving Harry.

"No. It wouldn't be fine. You two can still go together as originally planned. I'm not about to force you to go stag, Hermione. Especially since my prat of a brother will have a date, himself."

Harry frowned. "But what about you?"

He didn't much like the idea of Ginny going to the ball with another bloke… Where he would have his hands on her as they danced… Where she could possibly start to fancy someone else other than Harry after spending time with that bloke.

Ginny waved an unconcerned hand at him. "I'll be going with Colin."

Relief found him at the suggestion. Especially as he remembered Meyetta telling him that Colin admitted to be being gay during the Truth or Dare game the other night. If there was any other bloke in the castle besides himself and Ron that he could trust to not make the moves on his Ginger Firecracker during the ball, it was Colin Creevey.

Hermione still seemed uncertain, but not as much so as before. "Only if you're sure…"

Ginny nodded firmly, her decision resolute.

Harry stared at his girlfriend for quite a bit of time, before his gaze shifted over to his sister. "So…" He said, in a conversational tone. "You're not going to talk to me about dress colours, are you?"


	34. Chapter 34

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Chapter Thirty-Four

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During the dinner feast at the Gryffindor table was a rather awkward affair.

Ron was not speaking to her. Instead, he chose to studiously ignore her presence. And whatever he did say in regards to her, were things such as, "Nosey, prat of a sister… stealing my best mate then harping on me about a bloody ball…" - or - "Sounds just like mum, the way you go on about it. Bloody hell…"

Either way, Ginny was positively fuming. She couldn't believe how  _daft_  her brother was being!

Hermione was back to pointedly ignoring Ron's existence, which Ginny could hardly blame. Her brother had it coming if he kept thinking that it was alright to play with Hermione's heart like this.

And then there was poor Harry. Who was, quite literally, stuck in the middle of Ron and Ginny, as he was sitting between them at the table.

She could feel his discomfort in the tense posture he had adopted for the entire meal. So, she kept her mouth closed whenever Ron muttered out his comments about her. Just because she wanted to save Harry from any further discomfort. Especially after a third year student came up to Harry and delivered a note from Professor Flitwick, telling Harry that his detention would be at eight o'clock. The note went on to say that he should bring his charms textbook to read the chapter he had missed for the day.

After supper had ended, Harry had little choice but to leave them right away... in order to fetch his charms book in his dorm room, so not to be late for detention.

As Harry got up to leave, he reached down to squeeze her hand and smiled down at her apologetically. She knew that if given the option, he would much rather spend the evening with her, talking about the barriers that needed to be cleared between them. But Ginny didn't take his absence to heart. She knew that they would soon find the time to talk about everything that they needed to, soon.

After Harry had run off, Ginny slowly got up from her place at the table after the food had disappeared. She thought about getting into some warm pajamas… maybe even stopping by the kitchens for a spot of tea before bed.

But it was as she was about to leave the Great Hall, when a voice stopped her...

"Miss Weasley..." Ginny turned, and saw Professor Flitwick shuffling towards her.

"Oh! Hi Professor. How are you?" Ginny greeted, with a pleasant tone.

Flitwick waved off her pleasantries, and frowned at her disapprovingly. "Miss Weasley, I didn't see you in my class this morning, and I don't recall receiving any approvals of absence in regards to you."

Ginny froze and looked down at Professor Flitwick with wide eyes, her cheeks coloring to match her hair... "I-I'm sorry, Professor! So terribly sorry! I, well, uhh, you see... I overslept this morning..." Ginny admitted, embarrassed at how forgetful that made her seem.

The deep look of displeasure didn't leave his face. "Regardless of your reasons, I believe that you are quite old enough to know how to set a tempus alarm. You will have detention with me tonight, Miss Weasley."

Ginny's eyes widened in disbelief, and she tried not to show her excitement at the fact. Harry had said that he had detention with Flitwick, didn't he? Perhaps they would have time to talk tonight, after all.

Ginny schooled her expression to look regretful. "I understand, Professor."

Professor Flitwick nodded and said in a prompt tone, "Eight o'clock sharp." Before he turned to leave.

As soon as Flitwick turned away, Ginny smiled brightly to herself, not able to believe her own luck. It was perhaps the only time that she had even been excited about a detention! She couldn't wait to surprise Harry!

…..

Ginny immediately ran up to her dorm to fetch her Charms textbook. She knew that if she didn't hurry, then she would be late for the start of her detention.

With her book firmly secured against her, she now took to taking the stairs two at a time to get to Flitwick's classroom.

But she must have been going too fast, because just as she was turning a corner to another corridor, she bumped into someone who was walking in the opposite direction...

"Ofph!" Dean let out from the sudden impact, stepping backwards a pace. Dean rubbed at his head, seeming very perturbed. "Would you bloody well watch where you're...!"

Dean trailed off as he looked up and saw who it was who had bumped into him.

"Oh." He said in surprise, as he noticed Ginny standing right in front of him.

Her brow arched silently in question, silently daring him to finish his sentence.

Sheepishness suddenly overcame Dean then, as he looked mightily embarrassed. "Sorry..."

Ginny merely shrugged one shoulder, refusing to respond or even look him in the eye.

Then, in an incredibly stupid and daring move, Dean had reached his hand up to rest upon her shoulder...

Her gaze snapped up to where his hand lay, before her hard eyes drifted up to glare at his face..

What little confidence he had seemed to falter at the look, and he slowly dropped his hand from where it had been touching her. "S-sorry." He said again.

Ginny didn't even nod. She merely side-stepped around him and started to be on her way once again.

"Ginny, wait!" He called out from behind her.

She paused, if only out of habit of stopping when hearing her name called.

"C-Can we talk? If you aren't busy, that is..." Dean asked from the few paces behind her.

Ginny looked over her shoulder at him, her expression now neutral. "No. I've got detention to get to."

With that, she continued on her way, not even bothering to wait for any sort of reaction from Dean.

Just seeing him had served to make her mood quite sour. But she couldn't let it bother her right then. She had a detention to get to, and she only hoped that she wouldn't be late.

At that thought, Ginny picked up her pace down the halls until she finally made it to the Charms classroom.

She paused just outside the door and saw that Harry was already seated within, and that he was alone.

He had his textbook already open, getting a jump start on the chapter he had missed for the day. Ginny couldn't help but grin as she observed him. It looked as though they would be the only two in detention tonight.

With that thought in mind, Ginny stepped forward and knocked on the doorframe, disrupting Harry from his concentration..

He gave a startled look as he looked up at the noise, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "Gin?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"

Ginny couldn't suppress her growing grin as she said, "Turns out that I have detention, too. For sleeping in and skipping class this morning."

"Really?"

Ginny nodded, allowing a bit of the giddiness to seep through.

"Surprised?" Ginny asked.

A slow grin stretched across Harry's face as he appraised her. "Very..." He said distractedly, before snapping to attention and finally meeting her eyes. "But in a good way!"

Ginny smirked at him, telling him that she knew exactly what he had been doing. But before she could comment and take the mickey out of him, Professor Flitwick shuffled through the door behind her.. "Please take a seat Miss. Weasley."

Ginny immediately went to the seat next to Harry, setting her textbook onto the table in front of her.

Professor Flitwick then conjured a large hourglass and tipped it over on his desk. "I shall be back at the end of this hourglass. Please read your prospective chapters, then sit quietly and wait for me to return."

Then, after pulling up his trousers a bit by his belt loops, Professor Flitwick turned and went out the way that he came... unwittingly leaving behind two teenaged students that had recently started a relationship.

Ginny watched as the sand in the hourglass went through the tiny hole to get to the bottom... the sand was going through it terribly slow.

They were quiet after the Professor left, both waiting on bated breath to see if he would return. But it was a long moment later when they realized that they were well and truly alone, and would be that way for quite some time.

Suddenly, Harry released the breath that he had been holding, and turned towards Ginny - smiling at her with a randy smirk as he rested his elbow on the table.

"What is it that you want to do now that he's gone?" He asked and in a very un-Harry-like fashion, he swiveled his eyebrows up and down at her, flirtatiously.

Ginny couldn't stop the flaming blush from his implication, but she smiled all the same, albeit in a slight, apologetic manner. "I was rather hoping that we could talk about some things..."

Harry's playful demeanor dropped immediately, and he sat up straight, fully facing her. There was an edge of worry in his eyes as he stared imploringly at her. "Y-You had mentioned that before... but I'm not entirely sure what it is you think we need to talk about...?"

Ginny shrugged.. "Well, anything, really. I just really want to, well,  _clear the air_ between us... You know, solve some of the mysteries and questions we have for the other."

Harry stared at her blankly, unsure of how it was he was supposed to respond. "Oh."

Ginny bit her lip, losing a sliver of her confidence over the idea. "I'll go first...?" She offered.

Harry relaxed then and nodded, seeming relieved that he didn't have to direct where this conversation was going to start.

"Alright... hmmm... let's see..." Ginny tapped her chin as she pondered what was the more safer topics to ask him first, before she brightened with an idea of where to start.

"Tell me what it was like when you first started liking Cho."

...

Harry's jaw dropped at the unexpected question. He couldn't believe that she wanted to hear about his past feelings for another girl!

Was this some sort of test he had to pass? Or a trap?

No... this was  _Ginny_. She never put herself into other's business. Not unless she was genuinely curious, because she was never really one for gossip.

"A-Are you sure?" Harry asked her, uncertain and afraid that he would unwittingly upset her by talking about how he  _used_  to feel for Cho.

Ginny nodded, seeming adamant and unworried.

So, with a snap decision, Harry decided to answer with the truth. "Well... uh, at first I didn't really know that I had a crush on her." He started, uncomfortably. "I remember thinking that she was pretty in my third year - which she is  _nothing_  compared to you, by the way...!"

Ginny blushed at the compliment that he had basically blurted out to her and smiled, reaching over to clasp his hand in hers.

Her warm touch managed to help with his nerves. At least he hadn't said anything yet to scare her off. He smiled slightly at her before continuing. "But it was really in my fourth year when I started to feel rather...  _funny_  when I saw her.  _Especially_ when she walked around with Cedric. I didn't realize right then, but I was jealous of him at the time. And it wasn't until a bit of time after that, where I realized that I fancied her..."

He drifted off... remembering the unpleasant feeling of seeing someone you fancy with someone else. It was the first time he had felt it, but it was nothing compared to the jealousy he felt when he had to watch Ginny with Dean.

"Go on." Ginny urged.

Harry swallowed. "Last year I still had these feelings for her... even though I knew nothing about her. But I was a silly school boy with a crush, and I found myself constantly watching her... Then, about a week after I made the mistake of rejecting you, I noticed that Cho had stayed behind in the Room of Requirement after the D.A. lesson. I stayed with her, and she was asking me all sorts of questions about Cedric... which I didn't really care to answer at the moment. She was crying and I remember how bloody uncomfortable it made me feel. Then there was a mistletoe and I said something about nargles... and we kissed. It was wet, though." Harry recalled the kiss with a look of disgust on his face.

Ginny stared at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean it was ' _wet_ '?"

"Hmm? Oh, well she had been crying and it was... well,  _wet_. And rather unpleasant."

Ginny stared at him for a moment longer before she burst out into laughter. She was laughing so hard that she had to bend over their clasped hands in order to catch her breath. Harry watched her for a moment with bewildered eyes, before her laughter became too infectious and he found himself chuckling along with her.

Finally, Ginny managed to get a hold of her laughter and righted herself once again. "Would I sound too clingy if I said I am glad that you didn't enjoy your first kiss with her?"

Harry found himself grinning widely at her. "Not at all. Same as I wouldn't be clingy if you told me that you didn't enjoy snogging Dean..."

Ginny made a face. "Snogging Dean actually  _hurt_... it was like he was purposely trying to bruise my lips with his..." Ginny looked at him and saw that there was a gleam of victory in Harry's eyes, and decided to tease him a bit.

"So... do you think kissing  _me_  is wet and unpleasant?"

Harry gaped at her. Was she barmy?

"I would have to be bloody  _mad_  to describe kissing you as  _unpleasant_ , Gin..." He said seriously. "And as for it being wet? Yes, but only in the best ways..." He stared at her with heat in his eyes, hoping that she caught his implication.

It seemed that she had caught onto his meaning, from the long stare that she was giving back to him - with her eyelids heavy and her pupils dilated. But just as Harry was leaning in closer to lay claim on her lips, is the moment where Ginny remembered herself and backed up slightly. Harry paused at her slight retreat.

"Well…" Ginny said, before clearing her throat as she tried her best to right her thought process. "Nice try with the distraction, but it is your turn to ask me something."

Harry sat back in his seat, slightly disappointed that he hadn't been able to steal a kiss from her, but was also thinking over some of the things that he had been curious about regarding his Ginger Firecracker… Until, finally, he found something…

"Tell me more about what made you decide to confess your fancy for me, last year."

Ginny was quiet for a brief moment, as she looked up and stared at the upper corner of the opposite wall, before she let out a heavy sigh.

"I could say that it was Hermione who convinced me to confess… but she was merely the push over the edge in the great scheme of things. The truth is that I was just so damn tired, Harry… I was tired to having such strong feelings for you when you only saw me as, not even an acquaintance, but as your best mate's annoying, baby sister…"

Harry shook his head immediately. "I never saw you as annoying, Gin. Sure, I saw you as my best mate's little sister, but never annoying. If anything, I never understood why your brothers would tell me how downright terrifying you could be when they got you angry. Because from my viewpoint, I only ever saw you as shy girl who was always silent whenever in my presence.."

"I suppose that I am to blame for us not being close friends all these years…" Ginny admitted, rather reluctantly - all the while, brushing her thumb over his. "I never opened up to you and showed you my true self. And I think that a part of me did recognize that last year, which was another motivation of why I chose to confess my fancy to you. It was also the reason why I asked you if we could try and be friends after you had rejected me. I had hoped that if I couldn't have you as a boyfriend, then at the very least, I wanted to show you that I could be a good friend."

Harry leaned forward in his seat, trying to put all the conviction in his voice that he could.

"You were, Gin. You  _still_  are. One of the most reliable, witty, and devious friends that I have  _ever_  had. I remember thinking of how my perception of you had completely changed after our conversation that night after the D.A.. I think the part that really got me was when you mentioned how valuable of a friend you could be to me by demonstrating that you could put shrinking powder in Malfoy's underwear drawer." Harry laughed at the memory, seeing it through a lense of newfound appreciation.

Ginny giggled, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Oh… I still find that to be one of my better ideas. We should find a way to make that happen one of these days."

Harry couldn't help it. With a laugh, he couldn't resist leaning forward and pressing a short kiss to her lips. "What have I ever done to deserve you?"

Ginny snorted. "Please. It doesn't take much for any decent person to hate the ferret."

"No. But it takes an exceptional one to want to be able to stand up to him. I know that Cho's friend, Marietta Edgecombe, wouldn't be able to." Harry said her name sourly. He still had a sore spot for the girl who had betrayed the D.A. to Umbridge last year.

Ginny looked at him curiously, no doubt questioning the extra malice Harry had used when he said the girl's name. Harry sighed as he readied himself to explain.

"Some part of me blames her for everything that had happened last year… I know that it's silly, but if she hadn't ratted out the D.A., then Dumbledore would have still been there when I needed him. Then maybe, I wouldn't have fallen for that stupid trap that Voldemort had set up for me, and maybe Sirius wouldn't have died."

Harry dropped his head forward with a sigh, then shrugged a nonchalant manner. "Sure, it doesn't bother me as much, because I can see Sirius and my parents whenever I like now. But this last summer… well, I was in a rather dark place. I had felt so alone. Sirius had just died and the only company that I had were my relatives. It took a while to accept that it wasn't my fault that he had died, but any rational mind will try and put the blame on anything and everything else."

As he spoke, he felt the ghost of the former anger return to him. "For a while there, I was fixated by the chain of events that lead to the Department of Mysteries, and I had gotten to the conclusion that it was Marietta's fault for a while. It didn't help that Cho had tried to defend her actions to me. I was so furious at Cho for trying to defend her friend who had betrayed all of us, including Cho herself!"

Ginny stared at him. She must have sensed the true anger he still felt from the bite in his tone. "Is that what ended your relationship with Cho?"

Harry chuckled unamusedly as he shook his head. "No. Our first date was downright awkward and she ended up getting jealous of Hermione,  _of all people_. She had dragged me to Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop, where we had nothing to talk about. Then, when I asked her if she wanted to meet Hermione with me, she went into a jealous rage and stormed off. I remember being rather indifferent when she had left."

"Huh." Ginny let out, somewhat dumbfounded.

"What?" Harry asked.

Ginny shook her head, trying to suppress a smile. "It's just that, well, I used to look at the two of you as the perfect couple… and I was so jealous of the fact. I guess it feels good to know that was hardly the case."

"Trust me, Gin. We have nothing really in common. Even talking quidditch with her had been boring." His voice had grown soft now that he was reassuring her that there was no need to be jealous of his past fancy.

"I just, well, I used to watch you watching her… and I saw the way that you would look at her." Ginny tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, while she opened their clasped hands so that she could trace the lines in his palm. The action caused tingles to run up Harry's arm. "It was another reason why I felt the need to confess to you. Because I was sick of feeling so jealous all of the time. I hated what the jealousy was making me be as a person. And Hermione had been right when she pointed out that the way that I viewed myself because of that jealousy wasn't all that healthy either."

Harry was surprised by this. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that was the underlying reason Ginny felt the need to tell him of her feelings… Perhaps he owed Hermione another apology for blaming her for pushing Ginny to confess to him.

"Oh…" Harry said, still thinking about the implications of all that Ginny revealed to him. He turned their hands so that hers was threaded within his grasp, once again. "So that's what you meant when you said that you didn't confess your fancy for me because you thought that I would have returned your feelings… but that you did it for yourself."

Ginny nodded, confirming what he said was the truth. "And it did work. Even if I was disappointed that you didn't fancy me back at the time, I wasn't a fool to believe that you would have sudden feelings for me when we had barely spoken to each other. It did help that after I buried my feelings for you, that I was able to be myself around you as your friend. I guess it was just easier to act normal when the pressure of my fancy for you had been removed. Plus, not long after, I had gotten in a relationship with Michael… which was a certain distraction, at best."

Harry frowned in obvious distaste at the mention of Ginny's ex-boyfriend. "Even back then, I always thought that he was never good enough for you. Looking back, I know that I had to be somewhat jealous, even though I didn't even know that I was jealous, nor did I know that I had any sort of feelings for you then. I actually think that as soon as you became my friend, and I started to get to know the true you, is the moment that I started to grow feelings for you… I would even argue that the seed had been planted the very night that I had rejected you. Because that was I got to know the real Ginny."

Ginny smiled at that, and squeezed his hand in a way that spoke volumes of what she thought of what he had just said.

Harry smiled back, and brought their clasped hands up to kiss the back of her own hand. "What was it that caused you and Michael to break up?"

Ginny scoffed at that and rolled her eyes. "When I covered the seeker position for you during your quidditch ban, last year, he was upset when Gryffindor had beaten Ravenclaw when I caught the snitch before Cho. He was in such a downright terrible mood about it, that I broke up with him right then and there. He couldn't have even been the supportive boyfriend and been happy for me that I had caught the snitch." Ginny shrugged, seeming unbothered by it now. "Anyways, it didn't take him long to go and comfort Cho over her loss of the game."

Harry scoffed. "See? I told you that he wasn't good enough for you."

"You told me no such thing at the time!" Ginny teased, imitating indignant outrage.

Harry paused for a brief moment, before going on to say, "Well, I'm telling you now that I had always  _thought_  that he wasn't good for you."

Ginny rolled her eyes at him, good-naturedly. "And I suppose you think that you are?"

This caused Harry to freeze once again, as he thought over his answer. "Not quite. But at least I know how important you are, and to treat you as such."

Ginny's smirk melted off of her face at that, staring at Harry with soft eyes. "Good answer." She whispered. Before she shook her head to clear all of the cobwebs free from her mind.

"Er, well, um… Tell me about the moment that you figured out that you fancied me."

Harry shrank back slightly at her request, suddenly quite reclusive and sheepish. His free hand went up to rub at the back of his neck as he tried to look at everywhere else except for at her. "Well… I remember thinking about how much of a good friend that you had become to me when I had arrived at the burrow. Dumbledore had just advised me to tell my friends about the prophecy, and I knew that he meant for me to only tell Ron and Hermione about it. But as I was thinking about it, I remember this great desire of wanting to tell you about the prophecy as well. I trusted you with my life, especially after you had fought alongside me at the Department of Mysteries. I had thought that it was only fair that I told you the reason why we had been fighting there in the first place…"

Harry took a deep breath as he thought about how he could phrase his next words carefully…

"I remember missing you during the summer while I was at the Dursleys, and a part of me recognized the excitement of seeing you again. But I don't think that I was really forced to acknowledge my feelings until I saw you for the first time." Harry swallowed heavily, knowing that this would be the hard part. "When you came in, all worked up over Fleur, I didn't even recognize you right away… You looked so  _different_."

Ginny seemed rather shocked by his admission, and Harry wondered whether he was treading on thin ice... "You were so  _stunning_ , especially in anger, I found that all that I could do was stare at you. Even when you had said hello to me, I was so speechless that I couldn't manage to muster a response to you! I felt like a complete idiot when I finally realized that it was you. I mean, you didn't look so different that you didn't have your familiar traits... After you left, though, I started to panic. Not only was I worried about what Ron would think, but you could say that I was in a bit of shock from the onslaught of feelings I suddenly was forced to face…"

Harry's face coloured as he thought about what had happened next… the part where Hermione had caught him rubbing one out to thoughts of Ginny… and he decided to keep that tidbit of information out of his telling to Ginny. "Then, er, I had kicked Ron and Hermione out, telling them that I needed to change, but really I just needed to be alone for a while. But Hermione had come back in a bit later, and I had blurted out that I fancied you to her. It was saying it out loud to her that really got me to accept my feelings for you, and I got really excited because I thought that you had still fancied me at the time. I wanted to run downstairs and ask you out, but I had wanted to look nice while doing it. I started digging through my clothes and thinking of ways to flatten my hair!"

Ginny giggled out at that, and Harry was glad to see that she hadn't been upset with him, He was happy to see that she didn't think that his fancy for her was only because of her looks or any other superficial reasons.

"But Hermione had stopped me…" Harry continued. "Told me that you had moved on with Dean. I originally thought of ways to try and get you to break up with Dean, but Hermione had called me out on that, saying that it was wrong. And she was right. So, the only thing that I could do was to try and show you that I was worth fancying again, and hope to Merlin that you would pick me."

Ginny sighed, a wistful gleam in her eye. "Like I said before… If you had asked me out that very day, I would have broken up with Dean just to be with you."

Harry chuckled dryly as he thought of all of the time that had been wasted. "It sure would have saved me a lot of jealousy over Dean, that's for sure." Harry confided. "That first day on the train, I had wanted so badly to sit next to you… You honestly don't know how happy I was to see you in the Slug Club. But after your fight with Dean on the train, I thought for sure that you would have remembered the promise that you had given me about reconsidering, and break up with him. I was so giddy, anticipating that you were going to break up with Dean so soon, and that it wouldn't be long before I could try and convince you to fancy me again…"

Ginny smiled apologetically at him. "And then you find me snogging him behind that tapestry…"

Harry nodded, frowning at the memory. "When I saw him… holding you…  _kissing_  you in that way… well, it quite literally knocked the air out of my lungs. I had thought for sure that you were going to break things off with him, that I felt rather blind-sided seeing you and him in that position."

Ginny sighed, looking down at her feet. "I'm sorry that you had to see that. It must have been hard…"

Harry shrugged off her sympathy. "It's not as though I didn't deserve it… I mean, I had had my chance, but I had rejected you. From your point of view, I would never develop any sort of feelings for you."

Ginny nodded. "It's true. I did think that. It was why I had acted so strangely after I had brought you to the hospital wing…"

Harry looked at her curiously, and Ginny knew that she had to explain in further detail. "Well… You see, it was in the hospital wing where I realized that my 'buried feelings' for you, weren't all that buried… I realized then that I still fancied you, and that scared me more than I could handle at the time. It was the real reason why I hadn't visited you while you were in the hospital wing… and why I was trying to avoid you. I had hoped that some distance away from you would give me the time to get rid of the feelings. I had thought that they would be the ruin of our friendship. It was part of the reason why I hadn't broken up with Dean right then… Because at least with him still around, I could use him as a distraction from my resurfacing feelings towards you… But, of course, that plan didn't last very long."

Harry let out a bit of an uneasy laugh at that. "Well, that is sort of my fault, actually…"

Ginny looked up at his with puckered eyebrows, and Harry told her all that had happened after being gifted with the Resurrection Stone from Dumbledore. How Slughorn had come to Dumbledore's office in the morning, unknowingly interrupting Harry's reunion with his family, and invited Harry for some tea in his office. And, at Sirius' prodding, snatched a vial of Felix Felicis from the giant cauldron full of it when Slughorn was tending to the tea...

"I took the potion when I got back to my dorm, and Ron kept an eye on me while I was under its influence. It was the liquid luck that told me to pass out the blueberry muffins. And later, Felix told me to take a walk with Ron outside while under my invisibility cloak…"

Ginny gasped, dropping his hand. "Then it  _was_  you! You were the one that had cursed Dean that day…!"

Harry bit his bottom lip and nodded sheepishly. "Yeah… I'm sorry if that upsets you…"

Before he even finished, Ginny was shaking her head on the contrary. "No. I would rather say that I was relieved that the bugger was cursed off of me."

Harry let out a sigh of relief then. "I had thought that you would be offended or miffed that I had led you to believe that I wasn't the one to curse him. From my perspective, I had thought that you were already angry with me when you hadn't visited me in the hospital wing..."

Ginny shook her head, putting her other hand on top of one of his. "No… If anything, you were too perfect… You were so kind and understanding towards me all of the time, and you seemed to know the right things to say or do to make everything right in my life. And realizing this terrified me.." Ginny took a deep breath and let it out in a shuddering sigh. "Harry… I've pined after you for  _years_ …!

Sure, it first started out as a silly crush, but after the  _chamber_ …" Ginny shuddered at her own mention of her childhood trauma. "...after the chamber, my feelings for you changed. Into something more  _real_. Before I was awestruck because you were the boy-who-lived. But after you had saved my life, you became Harry… the boy who cared so much for others, that he was willing to sacrifice his own life in order to save a foolish girl from a diary…"

Harry grabbed for her hand once again, imploring her to look at him silently with his eyes. When she finally did, he spoke. "Gin… You  _weren't_  foolish."

Ginny shifted her eyes away, and bit at her lip, once again pulling her hand away. "Yes I was, Harry." She whispered, with guilt ridden so heavily in her demeanor. "I don't think that you understand that I  _poured my heart and soul_  into that  _stupid_ diary. I told Tom  _everything_. Especially everything about  _you_. It was more than easy enough for him to claim me, because I had willingly let myself open up for him to corrupt me. I was so naive, I had thought that he was my friend."

Ginny let out a shuddering breath. "I consider myself lucky every single day that no one had died because of my foolishness. Could you imagine if Hermione hadn't had that mirror? Or if Colin hadn't been looking through his camera lense? They could have been  _killed_ because of my decisions."

"But they weren't. And even if someone had been killed, it still wouldn't have been your fault." Harry told her, passionately. "Stronger wizards would've fallen to Tom's influence much faster than you had. Dumbledore had told me that, himself."

It still didn't look as though Ginny quite believed the words that Harry was telling her, but she didn't vocally argue against them. They sat in silence for a long moment, both lost in their own memories of the Chamber of Secrets… and how the experience had both changed them irrevocably.

"You know…" Ginny finally spoke up, her expression telling Harry that she seemed uncertain whether she should even say anything at all. "I sort of resented you for ignoring me after the chamber..."

Harry's head snapped up, looking at her with wide eyes. Ginny wasn't looking at him, however. Instead she was staring down at her hands with an uncertain expression on her face. "But then, I would feel ridiculous. I mean, you saved my life! You didn't owe me anything past that.. But... I don't know, I guess I just wanted to know that you cared about my well being. That you were actually glad that I was still alive, and not just because I was Ron's little sister, but because you actually considered me to be your friend."

Harry was silent, even after she finished speaking, he stared at her. Ginny still hadn't met his eyes, and all the while, Harry's thoughts were racing a mile a minute.

He hadn't realized the damage he had done by merely not speaking to her after the chamber... Looking back, he had dismal excuses for not being there for her.. He should have been there... to work through their shared experience in the Chamber of Secrets together.

" _I should have been there for you..._ " Harry whispered, his eyes now focused on nothing in front of him.

Ginny's gaze snapped up to him, her eyebrows knitted.

"I-I don't know why I wasn't... I guess the only excuse that I have was that I was only a boy then. And that I was too focused on how  _I_ felt through the experience that I hadn't really stopped long enough to spare any thoughts for yours." Harry's eyes now focused on her and their gazes connected. On impulse, Harry reached forward and clasped her hand in his. Ginny automatically squeezed his palm tight in hers. "I'm sorry."

A stray tear leaked from the corner of Ginny's eye and she hastily went to wipe it away, before smiling softly at him. "It's alright, Harry. You don't have to apologize. I was just telling you how it was that I used to feel. I don't feel that way anymore. Not after I got to know you a little better, and I began to understand why it is you acted that way..."

Harry frowned slightly, a perplexed expression straining his features. "What do you mean?"

Ginny sighed and got up from her seat at her separate desk, and went up and stood in front of Harry. Harry looked up at her, still with questions in his eyes behind his spectacles.

"Scoot back." Ginny told him, and he moved his chair back, just with enough room for Ginny to sit herself down sideways on his lap.

Harry nearly startled when she plopped herself down on top of him, as though it was her rightful place - before he realized that it actually was. Harry smiled shyly up at her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

Ginny smiled back at him, before leaning forward and pressing her forehead against his. A warmth grew from where they touched, and Harry found himself sighing in contentment, closing his eyes at the wonderful feeling.

"Harry... what I meant was that you have difficult time of letting people get too close to you.." Harry's eyes snapped open, and he found the extremely close brown eyes of Ginny Weasley boring straight into his. But her words were still reeling in his head, and it was enough for Harry to jerk his head back in surprise.

"Wh-What do you mean ' _a difficult time_ '?!" Harry found himself sputtering.

Ginny laughed a tinkling laugh - that caused Harry to melt a bit at the noise of it - before grabbing his head and pulling his forehead flush against hers once again. "Surely you've noticed, Harry. For the longest time, the only two people that you've let in completely were Ron and Hermione. I mean, there is a reason why people call you 'The Golden Trio', and that's because you guys are so exclusive that it's difficult for anyone else to be let in. Nor have you guys really showed any desire of letting anyone in with your group... Sure, you still have other friends, like Neville, Luna, even Fred and George. But you always keep them at arms-length. Even with me, you've only ever let me in fully during these past few months... when I've been trying to break down your walls for years!"

Harry's frown deepened, not liking what he was hearing all that much. Ginny sighed, seeing his distaste of her words, and pressed her hand against his cheek, running her thumb along his cheekbone. "I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, Harry. It's just something that I noticed about you, is all. It's honestly best if you remain cautious, anyways... With the war looming - and especially what happened with Barty Crouch Jr. - it's good to be suspicious of people's true motives. Which is why I never discouraged you from spying on Malfoy and suspecting he's a Death Eater. But I can't help but think... that maybe there is a reason why you do this - not letting anyone in.. And I think that it all stems back to those muggle relatives of yours..."

Harry tensed at the mention of the Dursleys, hating the unpleasant feeling he got in the pit of his stomach whenever they entered his thoughts.

"You never talk about them..." Ginny whispered, her eyes now looking sad. "And this is not me saying that you have to, but I'm just letting you know, that if you do want to talk about them to me, I'll be here to listen. Anytime and any place, Harry."

Harry swallowed heavily and gave a jerky nod, the action causing his glasses to go askew on his nose as they rubbed against Ginny's face. "Th-Thanks, Gin. It's nice to know that someone wants to listen..."

"A lot of people want to listen, Harry. They are just too uncomfortable to ask you because they feel that it isn't their place."

They were silent for a long moment after that, each in their respective thoughts, until Harry spoke up.

"I'm ready to say one thing..."

Ginny arched an eyebrow in curiosity, her expression encouraging him to continue.

"I don't want to spend another summer in Privet Drive..."

...

Harry was wandering. Looking out for any books that caught his eye and looked promising. Which was no easy task, seeing as all of the books in the Restricted Section of the library looked just as old as the next.

Harry sighed underneath his invisibility cloak. Perhaps it would have been much easier if he had brought Hermione along with him… She had a much better eye for what sort of books would be most useful to them.

It was well past curfew though, and his friend deserved to have a night of rest after all of the help she was lending him in his research.

It was long past his shared detention with Ginny. It was hours before when he had walked her back up to Gryffindor tower after they had been released by Professor Flitwick.

Suddenly, a rather large book had managed to catch his eye. It was just as ancient looking as the rest, but the reason why it had looked promising to Harry was because it was written by Merlin, himself.

Lifting up the invisibility cloak enough for him to reach up and slide the book from its place on the bookshelf, Harry first peered at the title.

 _ **Ancient Spells for the Powerful Wizard**_   _written by_ _ **Merlin**_   _Emrys_

Harry ran his hand over the cover of the book with a spark of hope. Resurrecting the dead had to be an ancient spell, right? And if any wizard could find a way to bring back the dead, it had to be the powerful Merlin, right?

"Mr. Potter!" A sharp tone sliced through the air, startling Harry enough to cause him to drop the heavy book in his hands.

Harry whipped around, his cloak merely hanging off of his shoulders, to see a severely stern Professor McGonagall staring at him - her arms crossed and her posture ramrod straight.

Harry felt his heart freeze before it dropped all the way into his stomach. "P-P-Professor…! Fancy seeing you here…"

McGonagall did not seem the tiniest bit amused by the forced nonchalant comment Harry made regarding both of their presences in the Restricted Section.

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall began in a short tone. "Do you have  _any_  idea of what time it is? And to find you in the  _Restricted Section_ , of all places,  _after hours_!"

Harry could only stare at her in horror. What was there that he could say? He was in the wrong and they both knew it. It didn't matter how much Professor McGonagall liked him as a student and as Gryffindor captain… she was sure to neglect showing favoritism and punish him as she would anyone else.

When he still hadn't managed to say anything, McGonagall let out a heavy sigh and suddenly looked rather regretful. "I have half a mind to assign you dentention from the next quidditch match, Mr. Potter…"

" _No_!" Harry pleaded, both knowing that his pleas would do nothing to change anything, and that this punishment hurt McGonagall just as much as it hurt Harry.

"Now, Minerva…" The familiar, aged voiced said from the shadows. Both Harry and McGonagall turned to see Professor Dumbledore step from the shadows behind Harry…

Harry gaped at the Headmaster, wondering at his sudden appearance. But Dumbledore merely smiled at the two of them, as though it was completely normal to be roaming the library in the middle of the night. "Let's not be too hasty. It is my fault that Harry is out of bed at this time of night. I'm afraid that we had to postpone our training to a later time, because Harry was serving a detention with Filius earlier in the evening."

Dumbledore clasped his hands together as he finished his explanation, and Harry was left to marvel at how the Headmaster was trying to get Harry out of trouble.

"Albus," McGonagall said, shocked. "Do you not realize how late the hour is? Mr. Potter does have classes tomorrow morning."

Dumbledore nodded gravely at this point, before supplying his own. "Yes, I do realize that. But with the war looming closer to our very borders, one cannot be too cautious in this time of temporary peace. I feel that preparing Harry here for what is to come is worth a couple hours of lost sleep."

This reasoning didn't quite agree with McGonagall, but she found that she had nothing to argue against it. "I suppose…" Her Scottish accent even more thick with her resignation.

Dumbledore nodded slowly and smiled at his colleague. "But I do suppose that you are right. It is getting rather late, and I suppose that Harry here has been longing for his warm bed for hours, now."

They both looked to him for a response, and Harry could only nod speechlessly in agreement.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, before he turned to McGonagall. "I will see to it that Harry here gets up to Gryffindor tower without any trouble."

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, staring at Dumbledore with a critical eye, before finally conceding. "Oh, alright, Albus. But please do not dwell for too much longer. Remember that the boy does need his sleep."

Dumbledore nodded, his pleasant smile still etched on his aged face. With that confirmation, Professor McGonagall took her leave and Harry wondered whether she was relieved that she didn't have to ban Harry from quidditch as much as he was.

As soon as she was gone, Harry let out the breath that he had been holding and turned to his mentor, gratefully. "Thank-you, Professor. Merlin knows that I could go without another detention…"

Dumbledore looked at him with his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Ah, yes. I had heard that Professor Snape had assigned you a detention, as well."

Harry couldn't hide the intense dislike that he felt for the slimy git from his face. "He gave me detention for merely holding Ginny's hand! Though he did not give Ginny the same punishment, not that I wanted her to get detention, but  _still_ …!"

Dumbledore's eyes lost their glimmer as he listened to Harry's complaints. "You best not think about it all too harshly, Harry. I think that Professor Snape comes from a place of a broken heart…"

Harry looked at him curiously, and Dumbledore sighed. "You and Miss. Weasley together, reminds him of your mother and father when they were together in school, I believe."

Harry gaped at his mentor as he listened to his explanation. And was once again reminded of the disgusting obsession Snape had for his mum… Harry shuddered at the thought, before piping up once again.

"But, Sir…" Harry stressed. "That is no reason to give me detention…!"

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "I agree, and that is why I'm revoking your detention with him. But I must ask that you try to not provoke Professor Snape, Harry. There are only so many times that I can get you out of trouble with him without Severus feeling that I am biased towards you."

Harry wanted to argue further, but who was he to bite the hand that had gotten him out of two detentions in the matter of minutes? So, Harry sighed and nodded regretfully. For the Headmaster, he could try to be on good enough terms with Snivellus.

Dumbledore smiled at him with pride, before stating, "You best be off now, before I managed to get on Minerva's bad side by keeping you up any longer…"

Harry nodded, and donned his cloak over his head once again, and quickly made his way out of the library, not wanting to mess with fate any more than he had tonight, and end up running into Filch.

It was only after he had gotten into bed, when he realized that he had forgotten to grab the book that he had initially been in the Restricted Section for in the first place…

…..

It was early the next morning - long before Ron would even dare to crack open his eyes - where Harry was quietly casting a silencing charm on his bed curtains.

His eyes were still heavy with sleep and his unmanageable hair was even more ruffled than usual. But he still clasped in his hand the chain that held Resurrection Stone on the end, and put the chain over his head - making sure that the stone was touching his skin underneath his pajama shirt.

Despite Harry's tiredness, he still beamed at the sight of his parents and Sirius appearing before his eyes. Even after an entire month of having them in his life, he still couldn't get over the exuberant feeling of seeing them every time that they appeared.

But apparently, the feeling wasn't shared... as Harry was quick to notice.

His dad and Sirius both had somber looks to their faces... which was a quite surprising and odd expression to see, as Harry had never seen this look on either of their faces before. While his mum looked quite determined, but still had a lingering sadness in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked immediately, sitting up from his place on his bed and drawing his legs in to sit crossed-legged on the downy mattress.

There were dozens of warning alarms going off in his head as he looked at each one of them for answers. He had been ready for them to tease him about his new relationship with Ginny, before congratulating him while Sirius and his dad would start to lecture him about sex...

To say that being met with the opposite reactions was rather surprising to Harry, to say the least.

His mum, his beautiful mother, smiled slightly at him before reaching forward and clasping his hand in both of hers. Her hand was just as cold to the touch as every other time. It came with the territory of being dead. It was a fact that Harry tried to ignore, just as he ignored the fact that they couldn't feel it when he touched them.

"Harry..." His mum started out slowly. "Your father and I talked it through, and we got Sirius to agree..." She trailed off at the disgruntled huff that came from Sirius. Both Harry and Lily's eyes went to look at him, and saw a rather annoyed, albeit resigned, expression on his face now. Lily bit her lip nervously, before her eyes trailed over to fixate on Harry's face. "Well, we think that you should stop searching for ways to resurrect us."

Harry's jaw dropped as a feeling of unpleasantness overcame him.

"Wh- _What_?!"

His mum shifted nerve-riddled eyes to his dad, who sighed and leaned forward to wrap his arm around Lily's waist. "Now, Harry..."

"No! I won't give up! Why would you even ask that of me?! Do you think that I  _like_ being an orphan? That I enjoy watching as people die around me?! For once, I would like to see life brought back  _into_  my life, rather than taken away!"

"But you're becoming obsessed!" His mum pointed out, passionately. "You're letting the research consume your life when you should be focused on trying beat Voldemort. But you've been so distracted by researching resurrection, that you've even let it get you into trouble… on multiple occasions."

Harry was quiet as he stared at her.

"You don't even pay attention in classes anymore, because you are too fixated on the book you are secretly reading on your lap." She continued, her voice passionate but tired at the same time. Almost as though she were forcing the words out for his sake.

Harry didn't even realize that tears had escaped from his eyes until they were trailing down his cheeks. "B-But don't you guys  _want_  to be with me…? Don't you  _want_  to be my family?" He said the words so quietly, that any living person would have to strain their ears in order to hear it.

His dad reached forward and rested his large hand on Harry's shoulder, comfortingly. "Of course we want to be with you. And we still are. No matter if we are living or dead, we will always be your family, Harry. Nothing, not even the grave, can change that."

Harry couldn't find any words to say on the matter. He wanted to scream at them all. Tell them that he wasn't going to give up… But they were right in a sense… he had been forgetting his responsibilities in favor of researching ways to bring his family back from the dead. What would happen if he wasn't prepared enough when he finally faced Voldemort? Surely, Harry would be killed. But what then? What would happen of Remus? The Weasleys? Fear clutched at his heart as he thought of what would happen to Ginny…

When he had been silent for a long moment, it was his mum that cleared her throat, thinking that he had silently agreed that abandoning his research was for the best. "So… Tell us all that has happened with your newfound girlfriend…" She said, conversationally.

And Harry told them, but he found that none of their hearts were as into it as it would have beforehand….

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	35. Chapter 35

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Chapter Thirty-Five

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"That's better, Jack. But it helps your balance if you have one leg in front of you, and then bend it slightly. Having a firm and balanced stance when dueling is just as important as the actual spells and wand movements." Harry instructed, watching as the fourth-year Slytherin boy did just as he was told, by moving one of his legs forward a tad.

Jack looked up a Harry, his eyes clearly showing that he wanted to impress Harry. "Like this?"

Harry smiled at the boy and nodded. "That's perfect! Now, why don't you try the spell again?"

With his hand, Harry gestured towards Jack's chosen dueling partner, another Slytherin boy, who Harry learned was named Marcus.

Marcus stepped forward as he recognized that his friend wanted another go at mastering the spell.

Harry stepped back to observe Jack's new approach to the spell. Where Harry had initially been surprised by the several Slytherins who had wanted to join the D.A., now he gladly accepted them. Anyone who came to the D.A. meetings could clearly see that they were nothing like the mean-spirited Slytherins like Malfoy or Zambini.

With an expression of fixated concentration, Jack lifted and pointed his wand at Marcus and boldly exclaimed the incantation. A jet of light burst forth from Jack's wand and hit Marcus squarely in the chest, after Marcus had failed to block the spell.

Immediately, Marcus started to walk backwards, until he was standing in the same spot he had been waiting while Harry had worked with Jack.

"I-I did it!" Jack exclaimed, both stunned and proud of his accomplishment.

Harry turned to him with a grin, coming up to pat Jack on the shoulder in a congratulatory manner.

"You performed it flawlessly!" Harry exclaimed. He still couldn't believe the rush that he felt from helping all of these students perfect new spells. And perfect it, Jack had. The Reversal Laserver spell was an incantation that forced your opponent to repeat the actions they had just performed, only backwards. It was bloody useful when trying to get away in dangerous situations… especially with the more power one put into the incantation, the longer the opponent would have to endure the reversal of actions. It was yet another spell that had no counter-curse.

Jack's incantation only lasted for about a minute and a half, but that was more than enough time for an adult-aged wizard to apparate away. With more practice, Jack could lengthen the time of the spell to three or even five minutes!

Once Marcus was released from the spell, and was moving on normal time, he leapt forward to congratulate his friend at mastering the difficult spell.

After enduring many thank-yous from Jack, Harry managed to move on, looking for anyone else that was having trouble with their level of spell.

He had made sure to keep a watchful eye out for Ginny, who he knew who practicing with Colin close to the front podium. It wasn't that he was worried about Ginny in any way… oh no, he merely was keeping an eye out for an opportunity to jump in and help her if he found that she was having trouble with her spell.

It had been a week since their talk in detention, and what a week it had been! It didn't take Harry very long to assess that being in a relationship with Ginny Weasley, was as easy as breathing air.

He revelled at how easy it was to laugh in her presence, how he was now allowed to stare at her openly without any shame or reprimand… and Harry sure did like to stare at Ginny…

Even now, he found it to be difficult to keep his eyes away from her. Like many students, she had changed out of her school uniform and was currently wearing Harry's emerald, green sweater that Mrs. Weasley had made for him in his first year - a sweater that was now too small for him, but he had kept for sentimental reasons.

Ginny had found it while accompanying Harry up to his dorm when he went to fetch his broom for some one-on-one quidditch with his girlfriend. As soon as she saw it, she had claimed it as her own. Harry saw no issue with this, as there was a part of him that revelled in seeing Ginny wearing  _his_  clothing… Especially with the giant 'H' that Mrs. Weasley had stitched on the front, a symbol that Ginny now wore proudly on her chest… It let everyone know that Ginny was his, just as much as he was hers. It stroked the primitive, testosterone man inside of him that felt the need to claim what was his.

Seeing her in the sweater all evening, caused Harry to think about giving Ginny his old quidditch jersey that he had worn as a first and second year… He could only imagine how it was he would feel seeing ' _ **POTTER**_ ' printed boldly across Ginny's back.

She would look as breathtaking as she did now… with her red hair braided down the expanse of her back, the green of the sweater she wore contrasting her hair nicely.

Harry still couldn't believe that he could be so lucky to have such a fun, witty, mischievous, and beautiful girl such as Ginny as his girlfriend. Perhaps the fates have decided that Harry has had to endure enough unfortunate luck in his life already, and was now allowing his to reap some reward.

There certainly wasn't much that Harry could complain about in his life as of late. In fact, he would even go so far as to say that he has never been so happy in his life as he was now.

The only downfalls were, of course, the obvious ever-looming threat of Voldemort, and his decision - at his parents urging - to abandon his research to resurrect his family.

Harry's good mood plummeted slightly at the thought. He still felt deeply disturbed by the decision, no matter how much sense his parents arguments on the contrary were.

True, he did have a level of responsibility that he had to pay more focus to. Like paying attention in classes, his training with Dumbledore, and preparing both his friends and himself for the oncoming war… But he still couldn't shake the feeling that abandoning his research on resurrection felt more like he was abandoning his parents and Sirius, themselves.

He knew that if he broached them with these thoughts, they would immediately tell him that those thoughts were ridiculous.

He had talked to Ginny about it all, however, and she had been just as torn on the matter as he was.

" _On one hand, I do want you to have your family in your life, Harry._ " Ginny had told him. " _But I do see your parents having a point. I don't know what I would do if you got yourself killed by Voldemort all because you were too distracted to train properly… And I suppose, in a way, your family is still a part of your life through the Resurrection Stone…_ "

That was also a valid point… Harry  _did_  have his family as a part of his life, a fact that Harry took advantage of every night before bed - time devoted to his family through the use of the Resurrection Stone. It was a gift that Harry certainly couldn't take for granted, as whether dead or alive, he still had his family… which was certainly not something that Harry had before.

So, there was really no room for Harry to complain.

But  _still_ …

" _Haaarrrryyy…_!" A sickly sweet voice called out to him.

Harry groaned at the sound of it. He turned to see that it was Romilda Vane who was waving him over energetically. He had thought that she would have given up after he had gotten Dobby to apparate her away from the Gryffindor victory party… but he supposed that there was one thing that Romilda wasn't, and that was a quitter.

The memory of when his and Ginny's newfound relationship became public knowledge came to mind… to say that Romilda hadn't been pleased was an understatement.

Harry turned once again, his eyes roaming the expanse of students for either of his best friends… They had made an agreement three D.A. meetings ago that whenever Romilda tried to corner Harry, either Ron or Hermione would try to step in as soon as they were able.

Harry was in luck, as his eyes found Ron not far from where he stood. Ron must have felt Harry's pleading eyes on him, because it didn't take long for Ron to look up and meet Harry's eye.

As soon as their gazes locked, Harry shifted his eyes over towards where Romilda was making her way towards him.

Immediately catching on to Harry's situation, Ron made good use of his long legs, and stepped quickly forward and met Harry just as Romilda had made it to his side.

"Hey, mate…" Ron greeted, cutting off the sultry greeting that Romilda had been about to make to Harry. "Ginny told me to tell you that she is having trouble with the level four spell, and asked me to send you over to help."

Harry knew that it was a light lie to get Harry away from Romilda, seeing as Harry had been watching Ginny all night and saw that she had no problem with the spell taught tonight. But Harry wasn't about to spoil his chance for escape.

"Right!" Harry exclaimed, too eagerly. "I will go right to her and see how I can help."

Harry had been about to leave right then and make his way to Ginny, but a tight grip on his bicep stopped him. Harry looked over to see that it was Romilda that he invaded his personal space by touching him.

"But  _Harry_ …" Romilda said in a whiny voice. " _I_  need help with  _my_  spell."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron roll his eyes at Romilda's antics. It was blatantly clear to anyone how she was trying to manipulate the situation.

"Oh, come off it… We both know you don't really need help." Ron said, bluntly and he helped Harry by extracting her hand from around Harry's bicep. "Besides, Harry is the only instructor to help the third and fourth level students… It is  _Hermione and I_  who are around to help the level one's and two's."

"But I  _just saw him_  help those two fourth year Slytherin boys!" Romilda argued passionately, trying to get her hand around Harry's arm once again.

Ron stepped in-between them, and argued back, "That's most likely because there weren't any level three's and four's that needed help at the moment. But now there is, so lay off it!"

Harry chose that exact moment to escape, quickly making his way over towards the podium where Ginny was practicing with Colin.

Even from afar, Harry could see that Ginny was mastering her incantation flawlessly. Poor Colin didn't stand a chance as her dueling partner. Regardless of this, he came closer to her and watched her latest attempt at the spell…

A flash of light came out from Ginny's wand and struck Colin right in his wand arm, immediately turning his entire arm to stone. Harry had to hold back a laugh as he took in Colin's state… Not only was his entire wand arm now stone, but so was his left foot, his right shoulder, and half of his right cheek…

Colin looked deeply uncomfortable, and it seemed as though Ginny hadn't bothered to use the counter-curse on him just yet… the minx.

" _Please_ … Ginny…" Colin complained. "Can we  _please_  take a break? And please,  _please_ , use the counter-curse on me now? I can barely move…!"

Ginny giggled, teasingly. "But where would be the fun in that?" She asked, before doing what he asked and performing the counter-curse on him.

Colin's skin morphed back to normal, and Colin immediately sat where he stood, rubbing at his formally-stone foot…

Harry couldn't help but chuckle as he came behind the vixen in question, and wrapped his arms around her - constricting his arms so that she was pressed tight against his front.

" _Miss. Weasley…_ " Harry growled, his mouth pressed against her ear. "I have half a mind to have you stay after class…"

He could sense the smirk that formed on her face, as well as hear it in her voice as she retorted, "Oh. Please do, Professor Potter. Maybe then I can use my womanly charms to seduce you into giving me good marks…"

Harry paused, not quite able to believe his ears. Sure, she was teasing, but the sensual nature of her words was a line that they hadn't yet crossed. Their previous remarks to each other over the last week had been quite innocent, never daring to border anything remotely sexual sounding. Even while snogging, they kept their vocalizations sweet and innocent, especially since their relationship was so new. But if Ginny found herself willing to cross that line, then who was Harry to argue? In fact, he was all for it!

Harry chuckled, purposely letting his breath tickle her ear, causing her to shiver in the most delicious of ways. "Seducing a teacher, hmmm…? That is quite…  _naughty_  behavior, isn't it, Miss. Weasley? Perhaps that warrants a one-on-one detention where I can teach you good behavior."

Ginny practically purred. "But I  _like_  being naughty…" Harry nearly groaned at her implication, feeling his cock twitch in his trousers... "It's in my nature, Professor. Red hair, and all…"

Harry had been about to retort with something equally as randy, when he was interrupted by the clearing of a throat. Harry jumped and stepped back from Ginny, immediately, once again realizing that they were in a heavily public place…

Both Harry and Ginny looked up to see that it had been Colin who had interrupted them. Once he had their attention, he silently jerked his head to the side. They followed his movement, to see that Professor McGonagall was nearby. His interruption had been a warning, seeing as the Professor had not yet seen them in their compromising position.

Harry sighed and smiled thankfully at Colin. "Thanks…"

Colin snorted once before waving off Harry's thanks. "No thanks necessary. Thanks to you for distracting the She-Devil's wrath away from me for a bit to allow me a break!" Colin said, obviously still sore as he indicated to Ginny.

Harry couldn't help but laugh at the unapologetic smirk that Ginny sent Colin's way. Merlin help him if he ever found himself in Ginny's bad graces in the future… Harry was sure that, when Ginny set her mind to it, she could inflict much more damage than a bat-bogey hex…

Suddenly his wand sounded with the tempus alarm that he had set, indicating to him that it was almost near the end of the D.A. meeting. Harry reached out and squeezed Ginny's hand once, smiling at her, before stepping back and taking his leave - heading towards the podium.

Once up on the podium, Harry cast a spell to shoot a small spark into the air, effectively capturing everyone's attention in the room. He waited as everyone abandoned their spellwork - while others were quickly using the counter-curses on their partners - and watched as they all came to gather around the podium.

When they all settled, Harry used his wand to amplify his voice to the room as a whole.

"Great job, everyone." Harry congratulated with a smile. "I really hope that everyone was able to grasp and master the spells that were taught tonight. And, if you hadn't been quite able to get it, then with a bit of practice on your own time, I'm sure that all of you will manage to get it in no time!"

Harry paused at the round of applause the group gave themselves, before continuing on as they settled. "Now, as always at the end of every D.A. meeting, I'm putting out the offer to any of you that is willing to challenge me to a duel. Of course, the duel would be all in good fun and-"

" _I CHALLENGE YOU TO THE CLAIMING DUEL, POTTER!_ " A voice rang out from the crowd.

Everyone in the room gasped, and parted the crowd… until it was only Dean standing in the open.

Harry could only gape at him. Was he  _bloody_ _ **mad**_?! But no… Dean's face was intensely serious as he stared at Harry with nothing but contempt.

A  _Claiming Duel_? Harry had learned of it in his third year, while Remus was teaching the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The Claiming Duel hadn't been commonly practiced in well over a century, due to it's deeply misogynistic nature. The duel consisted of two wizards who were both wanting to court the same witch, so in order to settle the feud over the witch, they would partake in the Claiming Duel… where the winner would get to ' _claim_ ' the witch…

Nevermind that the witch could just  _choose_  who she had wanted to be with  _without_  any such duel… which was why the practice had been mostly abandoned in the late 19th century.

Everyone started to whisper as they looked back and forth between Dean and Harry… until Professor McGonagall stepped forward, a deeply surprised and perplexed look upon her features. " _Good Heavens_ , Mr. Thomas! Why in  _Merlin's name_  would you invoke a  _Claiming Duel_?"

Dean stood firm and resolute in his decision, seeming to refuse to back down under Professor McGonagall's stern look. "I challenged Potter in a Claiming Duel because of Ginny Weasley, Ma'am."

Everyone immediately turned their attentions to finding Ginny, and when their eyes found her, it was to find her face devoid of color as she stared wide-eyed at Dean.

Everyone was whispering madly to each other about the dramatic, first duel challenge, especially some of the girls who found the scandalous nature of it quite exciting.

Harry, still speechless at how daft Dean had to be in order to believe that this was a good idea, turned his attention over to Ginny…

She must have felt his eyes on her, as she turned her head to look back up at him. Harry knew that he had to have so many questions in his eyes for her… ' _What do you think of all of this?_ ' ' _Are you alright?_ ' ' _What do you want me to do?_ ' And finally, ' _Do you_ **want**   _me to duel him?_ '

He could tell from her eyes that she understood what it was that he was silently asking her… He could see her eyes shifting back and forth slightly, as she thought over what she wanted. Until finally, Ginny looked up at Harry… and rolled her eyes as she shrugged one shoulder - essentially telling him that it did not matter, because the outcome of the duel wouldn't change a thing.

So, it was up to Harry then… Harry turned his eyes back to Dean, who had been watching his silent exchange with Ginny with loathing eyes as all of the students still whispered excitedly around them.

Dean looked up at Harry then, and flashed him the most arrogant smirk Harry had ever seen on someone who wasn't a Malfoy. And right then, all that Harry knew was that he bloody well wanted to wipe that smirk clean off of Dean Thomas' face.

"I accept your challenge." Harry suddenly stated, loudly.

Most of the whispers got louder at that, while there was a good number of students that cheered at Harry's acceptance.

McGonagall stared at Harry for a moment before she sighed in resignation. "Oh, very well. Students, we best make some room for the duel then…"

Hermione immediately followed the example of Professor McGonagall and started to direct the excitable students away from the middle of the room. "That's right, please get to the side of the room where it is safe…" She told the surrounding students.

Harry stepped down from the podium, his hard eyes not ever leaving Dean's face. As he walked closer to where Dean stood, Harry whipped off the sweater-vest that he had been wearing and threw it to the side, leaving him only in his white button-down… then he proceeded to roll his sleeves up his forearms - the perfect picture of ease.

When he was only a few paces away from Dean, was when Harry finally stopped, his wand clutched tight within his grasp.

"Professor?" Harry called, his gaze still never leaving Dean.

Professor McGonagall must have heard him, however, because in the next moment, she was at Harry's side. "Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"Could you please moderate the duel, seeing as you would be the most impartial?" Harry asked her, finally shifting his eyes to look at his Head-of-House.

McGonagall nodded once. "But only because I want this to be a safe and fair duel. You hear that Mr. Thomas? Potter?"

Both boys nodded once.

When the crowd finally settled to watch the duel, McGonagall spoke in a loud, clear tone, "Gentlemen, wands at the ready."

Both Harry and Dean raised their wands, holding them symmetrical to the bridges of their noses, as was custom.

Seeing that their wands were drawn, McGonagall then stated, "Bow to your opponent."

Both Harry and Dean begrudgingly bowed to each other.

"Now, gentlemen, take your five paces ea-"

" _WAIT!_ "

Harry's head snapped over to where Ginny was now striding out towards them. Excited mutterings could be heard through the crowd as Ginny covered the distance. Harry dropped his wand arm as she got closer, until she was standing right next to McGonagall.

"If you insist on dueling over me," Ginny stated in a firm tone that demanded no arguments, "Then I demand that  _I_  get to duel  _for my own hand_."

Dean's jaw dropped as he gaped at Ginny. Harry could tell that he was surprised, to say the least. But Harry found these new turn in events rather unsurprising to him… it just like something for Ginny to do, wanting to fight her own battles, herself. Honestly, it was like Dean didn't know Ginny at all…!

"B-But, you  _can't do that_!" Dean sputtered, before turning his complaint to Professor McGonagall. "She can't do that,  _right_?"

Harry, however, was already pocketing his own wand… before he turned to Ginny with a smile, and walked up to her to plant a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"Good luck." Harry whispered in her ear, before pulling back to see the tenderest of smiles directed at him… telling him how much it meant to her that he was stepping back to allow her to do this.

Harry reached for her hand and squeezed it once, before stepping away and making his way to the edge of the crowd… where Ron and Hermione stood with surprised looks.

As soon as Harry walked away, and Ginny went to stand in his former place - facing Dean - everyone in the room seemed to have caught onto what was happening.

" _She means to duel him, herself?!_ " Harry heard one whisper, nearby, as he settled himself next to Ron.

" _But she can't do that! She's a witch and this is the Claiming Duel!_ " Another argued back.

"She bloody well can do whatever she pleases!" Ron argued loudly over his shoulder, obviously hearing the whispers, as well.

Harry smiled at his best mate and patted him on the shoulder, before turning his attention back to where Dean seemed to still be arguing with McGonagall… Ginny seemed none-too-pleased as she waited impatiently with her arms crossed across her chest.

"I think that it's great that you stepped back to let her do this, Harry." Hermione said quietly, from Ron's other side. "It really shows how much you have matured… with you not needing to stroke your pride."

Harry smiled slightly, never taking his eyes off of Ginny, before leaning sideways slightly to say, "You really think that I actually had a choice in that matter?" Harry pointed out, and both Ron and Hermione chuckled in agreement. Ginny would have likely been furious if Harry had denied her this... "Besides, Ginny has more right to castrate Dean than I do…"

In the middle of the room, the argument seemed to have been settled, as McGonagall once again stated loudly, "Mr. Thomas, Miss. Weasley… Wands at the ready."

The room went quiet.

Both raised their wands in front of their faces, but this time, Dean was far more uncertain as he did so.

"Bow to your opponent." Both Ginny and Dean bowed to the other, before straightening, wands still held up in front of their faces.

"Take your five paces." McGonagall said, and both Ginny and Dean turned on their heels and took five steps in opposite directions.

When they reached the fifth step, both stopped and turned on their heels once again, facing each other.

Everyone was waiting on pins and needles… Harry held his breath as he suddenly felt an anxiety take hold of him.

He knew that Ginny could take care of herself, but there was always that slight chance where Ginny could get hurt. Even if it were by accident. Harry found little comfort in the fact that Dean most-likely didn't want to hurt Ginny. Anything could happen in a Wizard's Duel…

"Now on my count of three…" McGonagall stated, stepping herself back away from the middle of the dueling pair.

"One…"

Harry stared at Ginny with sweat starting to gather on his brow…

"Two…"

Ginny's eyes narrowed as the deepest concentration overcame her. Her eyes never faltering away from her opponent…

"Three."

" _IMMOBULUS!_ " Ginny shouted, her wand pointed right at the spot where Dean stood. Everyone gasped at Ginny's quick wand work. But Dean, managing to be quick on his feet, dodged the freezing charm.

Just after Dean managed to narrowly miss the rapid-fire curse that Ginny had sent his way, he sent his own curse at her…

" _INCARCEROUS!_ " Ropes shot out from the tip of his wand towards Ginny… It was clear to Harry that he was trying to defeat her in ways of not hurting her badly… a fact that he was begrudgingly grateful for.

Ginny saw the long expanse of ropes coming at her, and seemed to understand that there was narrow chance for her to dodge the binds… So, with a complicated flick of her wrist, Ginny boldly stated, " _PROTEGO!_ "

Harry grinned as he watched the ropes hit the magical barrier that Ginny had put up.  _Merlin_ … was she  _ever_  magnificent… There was just enough hint of focused anger in her eyes to cause Harry to watch her in awe. Wisps of her hair had become loose from her braid, causing her to look wild in her ethereal glory.

" _AQUA ERUCTO!_ " Ginny yelled, and a large jet of water spurted forth from her wand, the action of the spell so fast and so abrupt, it managed to catch Dean unawares…

The water hit Dean in the chest, and caused him to plow over from the force of it. Harry was impressed by her accomplishment of such a complicated spell… and he seemed to not be the only one, judging by the gasps.

But while still under the weight of the water, Dean managed to cast a drought charm to counteract with the blast of water, drying it all up completely… From what Harry could tell of Dean from where he stood, he could see that Dean was getting more than a little frustrated from the way he was clenching his jaw...

" _INFLATUS!_ " Dean cried, casting the inflating jinx at Ginny, which Ginny only narrowly dodged… causing her to become unbalanced on her feet.

Dean took advantage of Ginny needing to take the time to steady herself and cast yet another curse at her…

Harry watched in horror as large boulders appeared in front of Dean, before shooting forward, looking to get a direct hit on Ginny…!

Ginny! No! She was about to get hurt!

Harry had just been about to step forward, grab his wand from his trousers and intervene before the boulders had a chance to hit Ginny and do some permanent damage… before Ginny had beat him to it.

" _DELETRIUS!_ " Ginny yelled the disintegration spell, flawlessly turning the oncoming stone to dust.

Harry relaxed once again at the vanishing of the threat… not able to believe that Dean would stoop to such dangerous means.

Ginny seemed to think the same, as her angry eyes now looked more than mildly inconvenienced… they looked  _dangerous_.

" _COLLOSHOO!_ " Ginny exclaimed, causing Dean's shoes to stick to the ground as a sticky adhesive stuck him to where he stood.

Almost immediately afterwards, Ginny followed up with yet another curse. "EVERTE STATUM!"

Dean's entire body was thrown backward, hitting the back wall of the Great Hall, and sliding down the wall onto the floor.

With Dean now sufficiently distracted by the onslaught of attacks, Ginny went in for the final curse to end the duel once and for all…

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

Dean's wand shot out from his hand, flying through the air, until Ginny reached out her free hand to catch it.

A burst of cheering exploded all around Harry, and Harry found that he had to be one of the loudest.

The Claiming Duel was over… and Ginny had  _won_.

Harry found that he was running forward before he even knew to do it. And he plucked Ginny up into his arms, twisting her around in a circle of celebration.

Ginny laughed in his arms, exuberant in her victory as all of their classmates gathered 'round to join their celebrating.

And Harry found that there was no way to avoid it with how he was feeling at the moment… Harry kissed her. Deep and fully displaying the awe and appreciation he felt for her.

….

It was only a few hours later, where Harry found himself sitting in the common room with Ron - both sitting next to the fireplace and talking of the D.A. lesson that night, the duel and how much of a git Dean was, and also the ball that was coming up that weekend.

Ginny had long since gone to bed… the excitement of the day finally catching up to her, causing her to feel exhausted.

Harry had kissed her goodnight at the foot of the stairs, regretfully letting her go so that she could get some rest. Before he went over to sit next to Ron and Hermione.

It wasn't long after that where Hermione had also stated that she was tired, and went up to bed as well.

So, for a time it had just been Ron and Harry.

"Well, I'm off to bed." Ron finally said, as he stood with a stretch and a yawn. Then he looked at Harry, who had made no such moves. "You coming, mate?"

Harry stared into the fireplace, thinking about this time last year… remembering how he would spend hours staring into this very fireplace, willing Sirius to show his face through it by the floo…

Shaking his head with the slightest of movements, Harry replied, "Nah… I think that I'm going to stay up for a bit longer…"

Ron merely shrugged, and said with yet another yawn, "Suit yourself, mate…" Before he made his way up the stairs to their dormitory.

Harry sat by the fire for quite some time… staring into the flames as more and more Gryffindors went up to bed, as well. Until he was finally on his own.

It was a rather blissful feeling, to clear the mind and allowing oneself not to think of any stray thoughts. And the fire was rather hypnotic… the perfect tool to use when the past was wanting to sneak up on him when all that Harry wanted to do was to forget…

But, as always, his time of peace hardly ever lasted long. A disruption coming in the form of a brown, barn owl came swooping through a wayward, open window, landing on the arm of his chair.

Harry shifted his eyes over to the creature, his lips smiling slightly at the rather impatient look it was giving him.

"Hello, there." He greeted the owl, who restlessly stuck its leg out - insisting that Harry take the letter that was tied to its leg.

Harry loosened the knot tied around the owl's leg, freeing the burden of the letter from the exhausted bird. Before opening his letter, Harry looked at the owl apologetically. "Sorry. But I don't have any owl treats on me. But if you fly up to the owlry, there's bound to be plenty for you there."

Without listening to another word more, the owl flew back out the window, no doubt looking for a bounty of food and a warm place to rest.

As soon as the owl was gone, Harry turned back to the letter that he held in his hand, turning it over in his hand, and breaking the seal… wondering who it was who had chosen to write him.

With a feeling of pleasant surprise, he saw that the letter was from Remus! Harry grinned, his greedy eyes starting to read the words his honorary uncle had written him...

_Harry,_

_I'm sorry that it took me such a long time to write to you. Things have been rather hectic for me as of late, but I won't bore you with the details._

_I must say that Mrs. Weasley is a god-send. I should confess that I've been spending quite a bit of time at the Burrow, and it all stems down to Mrs. Weasley's spectacular cooking. Better than Hogwarts food, by a landslide. Especially her chocolate fudge pie. I fear that I will resemble that of a bloated walrus when we next meet…_

_I've also been taking the time to get to know Mr. Weasley. He had told me that you have never quite told him the use of a rubber duck, and he asked me if you could reply with an answer._

_Now, tell me about how the school year has come along for you so far. I know if Sirius were standing over my shoulder as I write this letter to you, he would be pestering me about asking you if you had found any girls to fancy… But for the sake of your embarrassment, I will leave that up to you whether you want to tell me or not._

_The full moons have been rather hard now that Sirius is no longer here to help me through the transformations. I had gotten so used to his presence during the full moons, again, that it has made it quite difficult to accept the fact that he is gone._

_I realize that we hadn't yet had the chance to talk about what had happened to Sirius. But I feel that it is unhealthy for us to grieve alone. So, if you find that you need to talk to me about anything, including Sirius, I will always be here to listen._

_The last couple of weeks had been quite stressful for me. You see, Harry, I had lost my copy of Sirius' will. And there were some rather important memorabilia from our Hogwarts years that I knew was in Sirius' vault._

_I had spent weeks tearing a part Grimauld Place, trying to find the will, but to no avail… I had begun to think that the will had been lost for good, until I realized that I could just go to Gringotts Bank and request another copy of the will this entire time!_

_You see, Harry, when you feel that you are all out of options, it is best to start from the beginning and go to the source._

_Hope to hear from you soon,_

_Remus_

Harry stared at the letter.

He stared at it long and hard.

For some peculiar reason, he felt as though something written in this letter was trying to tell him something important. That he had a blaring hole with a problem in his life that he needed fixed - that  _could be_  fixed - with something that was contained in this letter…

But the question was… What was the solution? Or better yet, what was even the problem that needed solving?

Harry frowned as he reread the letter… then reread it for a second time… then a third.

By the time he had gotten to reading the letter for the fifth time, Harry found himself fixated on Remus' telling of Sirius' will…

Yes, Remus recounted how he had lost Sirius' will… and that he searched in all of a matter of places for it.

But what was it that he had done after losing hope that he would ever find it?

" _You see, Harry, when you feel that you are all out of options, it is best to start from the beginning and go to the source..."_

Harry gasped as it all suddenly clicked.

He suddenly found himself standing, letting the letter drop from his hands and onto the floor.

"Of course…" Harry breathed, his thoughts going a mile a minute. His mood brightening as it all became quite abundantly clear to him. " _Of course!_ "

Harry beamed, not quite able to believe that he hadn't managed to see it before! The solution to his problem! It had been so  _obvious_ , how the  _bloody hell_  had he managed to miss it for so long?!

He couldn't help it… the elated laughter just belted out of him as he eagerly bent down to pick up Remus' letter, once again.

There were so many plans to make, but Harry was pretty confident that he had just struck gold! After all, there was only one person that he had to convince to help him in order to pull this off… and with a bit of time and practice, Harry was sure that he could piece together a convincing argument that one person would have a hard time saying no to…

.

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A/N: All will become clear in time. :)


	36. Chapter 36

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Chapter Thirty-Six

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All day long, Harry had watched Hermione go from class to class in a flurry of excitement.

It was amusing to both him and Ron to watch her get so worked up about Hogwarts Unity Day... Though, Harry had to admit, that the education aspect of the day wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be... in fact, he found that learning what made each Hogwarts house so great to be rather fascinating.

For example, in Charms, they were taught how a former Hufflepuff Professor in the sixteenth century had once defended Hogwarts from bloodthirsty vampires by using only one charm... the sunshine charm. And they had then been taught how to conjure the very charm in question.

And in Potions, Slughorn had told them of an epidemic that had swept through Hogwarts in the fifteenth century, and how a former Slytherin professor had brewed a number of different concoctions for twelve days straight in order to find a cure. Then, they had brewed the very potion the professor had founded.

Needless to say, Harry found it all rather fascinating. But he could also tell that his peers didn't feel quite the same, and they were more looking forward to the Hogwarts Unity Day Ball than anything else... especially all of the girls.

Harry found himself to be excited for the ball, as well. He knew that he and Hermione were bound to have a good time tonight, and that he would at least get to have a few dances with Ginny.

In fact, he and Hermione had practiced dancing during their free period all week - a secret he kept from Ginny, as he wanted to surprise her with his improved dancing skills.

He also had some more free time this week due to Dumbledore's absence, as he had been away on Wizengamont business all week.

A part of Harry would have liked to say that he had used that free time wisely... by challenging himself in perfecting his dueling skills, or perhaps studying ancient magic and spells... But he did neither of those things. Instead, he had grabbed Ginny away from her Transfiguration essay and, together, they found a deserted place to snog in...

Looking back at the memory now, Harry still could say that he didn't regret the way he chose to spend his time, at all…

_"Harry…!" Ginny giggled, holding tight to his hand as he dragged her along behind him. "Where are you taking me? Don't you have your training with Dumbledore to get to?"_

_Harry suddenly stopped, and turned, quickly pecking her on the lips, before tightening his grip on her hand and pulling her along, once again._

_"He's gone on Wizengamont business all week." Harry said, looking back at her to flash her a randy grin. "Apparently, the Wizengamont couldn't go without their Chief Warlock. Which means that…"_

_Harry paused as they turned down an empty corridor… and with a grin, Harry pulled her into a hidden alcove that was casted in dark shadows. "...I have the night off…" Harry finished with a whisper, not wasting any time in pulling Ginny flush against him._

_"Really?" Ginny whispered, her voice low and sultry sounding. She pressed closer, bringing her hands up to run over the toned muscles on his chest. She leaned her face upwards, her lips just barely touching his. "And you chose to spend your free time with me?"_

_Harry could feel the ghost of her smile against his lips. And he found himself intoxicated as they exchanged breaths of air between them… her lips still tasting of the peach cobbler pie that she had eaten earlier at the dinner feast._

_"Yes." Harry gasped, finding himself completely under her spell… and enjoying it, no less._

_Harry felt her lips stretch wider, her growing grin telling him that he had pleased her._

_"Lucky me."_

_With a miniscule shake of his head, Harry immediately contradicted her. "No. I'm the lucky one."_

_Ginny slowly stuck the tip of her tongue out, tracing the outline of his bottom lip, causing Harry to shudder. Before, in a bold move that she had never done before, took that very lip between her teeth… only pressing down hard enough to leave indents in his skin._

_Harry gasped, feeling his cock quickly fill with the blood that must have been in his brain… as his mind quickly became foggy with want and desire. His hands suddenly couldn't stop wandering over the expanse of her clothed back… wishing more than anything that he could be touching nothing but her bare skin in at moment._

_Ginny released his lip, and pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. "Let us agree to disagree on that one, yeah?"_

_Harry chose not to answer. Instead, he dramatically pulled her lips to his, by clutching the sides of her face and latching on to those soft and pliable lips…_

_They immediately started to snog. And Merlin, was it magical. It got better every time that they did it, and Harry didn't know whether that was because they were improving their technique together, or that he merely forgot each time how amazing kissing Ginny Weasley was… He sure didn't mind reeducating himself, if that was the case…_

Harry grinned as he looked back at the memory… It was the last time that they had been able to spend time alone this week - due to the Professors giving their weekend homework to them early, so that they would be free to enjoy the ball without worries. And the memory of their shared night together had gotten Harry so worked up, that afterwards, he had to exploded as soon as he had gotten back to his dorm and touched his throbbing dick.

For the rest of the week, he had used that memory for ammunition to his fantasies… when he was in bed, late at night… He used that, along with images of a soaked Ginny in nothing but her white knickers that day at the Weasley pond…

Harry shuddered just at the thought. That memory was a sure-fire way to get him to spurt his load, if he ever found himself turned on, but in a hurry.

"Where's your mind at, mate?" Ron asked him suddenly, effectively drawing Harry out from his own thoughts as though he had a bucket of cold water dumped over his head…

Harry tried to stifle the redness that wanted to overcome his cheeks, as he answered, "Oh, you know. Just wondering if all these dancing lessons actually paid off so that I won't embarrass Hermione, tonight…"

It was easy enough for Harry to get Ron to believe his lie. Seeing as all that he had to do was bring up Hermione, and Ron would suddenly go silent and get lost in thought.

They were both sitting in their dorm room, on their respective beds, throwing a quaffle back and forth to each other. Harry looked down, and realized that he had been holding on to the quaffle in his hand for quite a bit of time… Shaking his head at his wandering mind, Harry proceeded to throw the quaffle back over to Ron - who was startled out of his own thoughts at the unexpected return of it.

Ron frowned slightly, his eyebrows puckered, and a perplexed expression on his face. "Why is it that girls need so long to get ready for a bloody ball, anyways?"

Ron threw the quaffle to Harry, who effectively caught it. Harry held onto it as he thought over his answer… In truth, he didn't quite understand why it took girls so long to get ready, either. The very minute that classes ended for the day, it seemed that all of the girls - at least that ones who were allowed to attend the ball - had up and disappeared to their dorms to "get ready, as there was only so much time that we have left to do so!"

That had been three hours earlier. Three bloody hours! Harry, especially, had been disappointed. Because as soon as classes had ended, he had rushed off to find Ginny to spend time with her before the ball, but she had told him that she hadn't the time! Then Hermione had come along and bloody well dragged Ginny away from him up the stairs to the Girl's Dormitory. He hadn't even been able to sneak in a kiss before she had been effectively stolen away from him!

"I don't know, mate." Harry confided to Ron, just as confused as he was. "It doesn't make any bloody sense to me…" Before he threw the quaffle back to Ron.

Ron caught it just as Neville opened their door and walked into their shared dorm. "Hiya, Harry. Ron."

"Hey, Nev." Harry greeted, while Ron merely grunted in acknowledgement, clearly still bothered by his thoughts of Hermione.

Neville went and sat on his own bed, as he asked. "What are you guys up to?"

"Just tossing a quaffle around and wondering why it is that girls take so long to bloody get ready for a ruddy ball." Ron stated, before holding up the quaffle to Neville in offering. "You want in?"

Neville snickered at their topic of choice, before getting up from his bed and pulling out the desk chair and positioning it between Harry and Ron's beds. "Sure."

Ron tossed the quaffle to Neville who, in turn, tossed it to Harry.

"You know that I asked Luna the very same question." Neville confided to them. "Asked her why she needed so long to get ready…"

Ron and Harry both perked up in interest, wondering what sort of quirky answer Luna was bound to come up with. "Yeah? And what did she say?" Harry asked.

"That when girls are finished doing their hair and make-up the first time, they see all sorts of flaws with their work and feel that they need to fix every detail that they don't like…" Neville said, as Ron caught the quaffle tossed from Harry.

Ron held the quaffle in his hands, his eyes bugging out in disbelief. "Bloody mad, witches are. They look fine any other day, and they don't spend hours in the morning to get ready then."

"But isn't that the point?" Neville asked. "They want to look more than just fine tonight, Ron. It is a special occasion."

This seemed to render Ron speechless and Harry couldn't help but snicker slightly at the befuddled expression that Ron had adopted. When suddenly, Neville laughed as he seemed to remember something else. "Luna had also said that spending hours getting ready was also a ritual to keep the Beltzurts away from ruining a perfectly good evening."

Harry looked confused. "Beltzurts?"

Neville laughed even harder. "She described them as Cupid's mortal enemy. That they try and ruin any potentially romantic atmosphere, and spending time getting ready keeps them away!"

Ron and Harry laughed outright at this as Ron asked, "How would that keep them away?"

Tears started coming out of Neville's eyes, he was laughing so hard. "She-She-She said that when the Beltzurts see the girls done up so nicely, that-that they get discouraged by their beauty and don't even bother to try and ruin the evening!"

Ron and Harry both fell over with laughter, both wheezing for breath as they thought over Luna's hilarious theory.

But the loud clearing of a throat interrupted their laughter, and they all turned to find Dean, standing in the doorway with a sour look on his face. And the laughter in the room suddenly died.

Dean glared at Harry for a particularly long time, and Harry didn't even hesitate in glaring right back at him.

After a long beat, it was Ron who had suddenly broken the silence. "Bloody hell, Thomas. Would you just give it a bloody rest already and move on with your life? Harry won. Ginny is happy with him. End of story."

Dean turned his icy glare over to Ron and sneered at the comment. While Harry found himself vindictively bemused by what Ron had said. "Keep your business to yourself, Weasley. This isn't about you."

Ron merely rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it's not as though Ginny is my sister, or anything like that…"

"You should learn to take your own advice," Harry chimed in, keeping his voice purposefully distant and light. "Learn to keep your nose out of my relationship with Ginny. Ginny is done with you, Dean, or did you not realize that after the humiliating defeat you had against her in the duel?"

Dean whipped his glare back to Harry, his fists now clenching with barely-contained anger from Harry's words and the reminder of the duel. "We'll just see who she is done with before the end of the night, Potter. Ginny'll see soon enough who is the better wizard for her, in the end…"

Neville groaned out loud in exasperation, before he stood with the pent up energy he felt from this ongoing feud. "Honestly, Dean. Give it a rest, would you? You aren't respecting Ginny's choices or opinions at all. She obviously sees Harry as the better bloke for her. Maybe you will find someone who will think the same about you, one day. But that obviously isn't going to be Ginny. So bloody well allow yourself to move on, would you?!"

The three other boys in the room stared in shock at Neville, not used to seeing the timid Gryffindor speak so forcefully about anything.

Once the shock melted off of Dean's face, he scoffed and turned to leave the dorm, slamming the door on his way out.

"Bloody hell, Neville…" Ron breathed, awe and appreciation thick in his voice and eyes as he appraised him. "I think that Luna may be rubbing off on you… you spoke without a filter just as she always does."

Neville froze at Ron's words, before he looked down at the floor with a contemplative look on his face. "You don't think that I was too harsh, did you?"

"You kidding?" Harry said, with a beaming smile. "That was brilliant!"  
Ron nodded enthusiastically in agreement and Neville positively beamed at the praise that he got from the two of them… And Harry couldn't help but think that Neville somehow looked taller with he stood with the confidence that he had then.

…..

Ginny sat stiffly in the hard, wooden chair. She had been sitting in it for the last hour and it was starting to get rather uncomfortable. Especially with the tugging and pulling that was currently being inflicted on her hair as a section would be magically curled before being pinned up on her head.

She still couldn't believe that she was trusting Luna with her hairstyle for the evening. It was sure a great leap of faith that she was taking with her normally-bizarrely dressed friend.

Hermione, herself, was working with her own mess of hair. Sleekeazy's Hair Potion was working wonders on her bushy locks, causing sleek, beautiful ringlets

"Hermione, you are going to be the most beautiful witch there tonight," Ginny felt the need to inform her. "My brother won't know what hit him."

Hermione blushed heavily at that but immediately brushed off her compliment. "Oh that's nonsense, Ginny. But thanks for saying so, anyways. We all know that you are going to be the most beautiful tonight. Along with Luna, who I have to say, looks really pretty in that yellow dress."

"Thank you, Hermione," Luna said airily. "But it is not quite yellow. The color shade is 'Sunshine', but I can see how you would think that it is yellow."

Hermione turned a brief, quizzical glance over to Luna before she turned back to the mirror; choosing not to comment.

They all fell into silence after that, each deep in their own thoughts.

Ginny thought back to Harry, and how bad she felt for not being able to spend time with him after classes were over. His face, as she had been dragged away by Hermione, had been so disappointed… but also resigned.

Ginny couldn't blame him. They had barely been able to spend much alone time together this week at all, due to the homework the professors had assigned early, so that they could all enjoy the ball. She was certainly feeling the effects of their separation… and it didn't help that they weren't able to spend any time in classes together at all, because he was a year older than her.

The only time that they had to spend time together was earlier in the week… when Harry had dragged her off to snog in a hidden alcove in the deserted hallway…

Ginny flushed as she recalled the memory… Merlin, Harry had been so passionate as he clutched her close to his body. His lips were so soft as the clung desperately against hers. His kisses always managed to leave her breathless, and she didn't think that she would ever get used to them.

But there was something else… as she had been kissing Harry, she had started having… thoughts.

One such thought was how much she had wanted to get Harry out from his sweater vest and shirt… She wanted to loosen his tie with her teeth… She wanted to quell her curiosity on whether he wore boxers or briefs, after shoving his pants down from his lean, muscular legs…

And all these thoughts had managed to fuel both the desire and fear within her.

She hadn't been able to think of much since they had crept into her mind. In truth, even now as she thought of them, panic started to swell from deep within her abdomen.

She was still so young… so inexperienced. And her and Harry hadn't even been dating all that long. Hell, it still shocked her as she thought about how Harry now fancied her! To add sex to the mix seemed… too soon.

But she couldn't shake any of the thoughts away, no matter how hard she tried.

It was her damn curiosity… that was the real problem. She hadn't the slightest clue of what sex really was made up of except for the basic knowledge… As in, a man's penis goes into a woman's vagina, or that sometimes, partners would put their mouths on each other… She had heard some older girls years ago call that oral sex.

Merlin, it all sounded so complicated to her. They should really have classes to educated younger people about these sort of things…

Ginny sighed. All that she really knew was that she needed to find out answers… And who better than her good friend who just might be educated on the matter?

Ginny looked up at the witch in question, and swallowed her nerves to get the girl's attention.

"Hermione...?" Ginny started, her voice sounding as hesitant as she felt.

"Yes?" Hermione asked back, distractedly, as she put a pin her her hair.

"I, well... I was wondering if I could talk to you about something? It's just that, I don't know who else to talk to. Talking to my mum about it would be horrifying, and I don't know any other witches to really turn to..."

Hermione stopped focusing on her hair and turned away from the mirror to look at Ginny, curiously. "Well, you know that you can talk to me about anything, Ginny."

Ginny bit her lip, trying to figure out the most delicate way to broach the subject.

"I've, uh, well… I've been h-having thoughts lately…"

Hermione's eyebrows puckered in mild confusion, before stepping closer to Ginny until she was right in front of her. "What sort of thoughts?"

Ginny swallowed heavily before gathering her Gryffindor courage and trudged onward - knowing that there was never going to be a time where she would feel comfortable enough to have this conversation.

"T-Thoughts about Harry… and I… together… in that way."

"O-Oh!" Understanding overcame Hermione's features as she suddenly caught on to what Ginny was implying. Hermione rested a comforting hand on Ginny's knee, kneeling before her. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Ginny… It's perfectly natural to fantasize about such things. Especially about your own boyfriend."

"I know…" Ginny said quietly, quite relieved that Hermione had managed to catch on so quickly. "It's just, well, odd to think about when I know that Harry probably doesn't feel the same way…"

Hermione snorted at that. "You're kidding right?"

Ginny frowned. "No. I'm serious. We only just started dating, so he probably hasn't even thought about it."

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

Ginny shrugged. "I just always have figured that Harry is always too busy to be concerned about it."

Hermione bit her lip as she contemplated something, before seeming to come to a decision. "Ginny… What I am about to tell you is something I know that Harry would kill me for if he ever found out that I told you… But last summer - on his first day at the Burrow - Harry saw you for the first time for the summer. Did you notice how quiet he was that day? It was because he couldn't stop staring at you. Then, you had left the room, and Harry immediately kicked both Ron and I out and-"

"He already told me this, Hermione. He told me that he kicked you guys out so that he could get ready for the day because he wanted to ask me out. But then you came back and you two had a row."

Hermione stared at her in a moment of brief confusion before she burst out laughing. "Of course he would omit telling you what actually happened that day…"

Ginny's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Ginny… Harry kicked Ron and I out for other reasons… meaning the, er, sexual reasons."

Ginny's eyes widened as she took in Hermione's meaning.

"She means that Harry was wanking." Luna informed positively.

Ginny felt her face engulf with flames of red."I-I know what she means, Luna." Ginny muttered.

"Then you must know that Harry definitely is interested in sex." Hermione pointed out. "And you know what else? He was thinking of you as he was doing it."

Ginny gaped at Hermione. "H-How could you possibly know that?!"

"He told me." Hermione said matter-of-factly. "He thought that he should be ashamed of the fact… I think it had something to do with his muggle relatives of why he thought he should feel shame over it. But I told him that it was perfectly natural thing to do, just as I'm telling you now. Then he told me that he was thinking of you as he did it and that he fancied you."

Ginny could only gape at Hermione as she processed this information… but she couldn't deny the wave of heat that overcame her at the idea of Harry masturbating to thoughts of her… If she were being honest with herself, she would say that the mental image pleased her greatly, as well as turned her on. But then a disturbing thought came to her...

"You… You didn't see his, uh, thing, did you?" Ginny asked Hermione, hoping against hope that her best friend hadn't seen her boyfriend's penis… especially before Ginny had.  
"No." Hermione said immediately, looking mighty grateful for the fact that she hadn't, either. "I only caught him with his hand down his trousers. He was so embarrassed that he sort of lashed out at me about learning to knock… but I think that he was just grateful that I wasn't Ron or your mum… or even you."

Ginny couldn't keep the suppressed smile from her face as she thought over the scenario that had happened last summer. Poor Harry… all that the poor bloke had wanted to do was to wank in peace. Heat flooded her as she thought about it. She imagined what she would have done if it had been her to interrupt Harry instead of Hermione.

Harry would have probably have been mortified. Especially since he had been thinking about her as he had been wanking. But then would he have gone on with his plan to admit his fancy for her that day if Hermione hadn't told him about Dean? And if he had, what would she have done then? Obviously admit to liking him back. But would she then have wanted to finish what he had started? Would she had been bold enough to snake her hand down into his trousers and touch his length? Probably not back then she wouldn't have, but is that what she wanted now?

"Is all that you needed?" Hermione asked her. "Reassurance that Harry feels the same?"

Ginny bit her lip briefly before shaking her head. "Er… Not quite. I was also wondering if you, uh, had any advice for me…? I'm not sure what you got up to with Krum when he was here, but surely you've read a detailed book about sex that gives witches good advice on how to, uh, you know…"

Hermione blushed heavily at the mention of Krum and the implication of doing anything sexual with him. "Eh, no… I-I hadn't done anything like that with Victor…" Hermione managed to get out through an embarrassed stutter. "And as for the advice, I had read a book on teenaged adolescence and sexual behaviors. It was a muggle book, and it mostly talks about abstinence and contraceptives."

"But what does it say about pleasing a wizard? I don't want to look like a dolt in front of Harry when the time comes…"

Hermione looked back at her, seeming to be at a loss for a proper answer for once - a fact that seemed to deeply bother her bushy-haired friend.

"Do you plan on pleasing Harry orally?" Luna suddenly asked behind her, still going about curling and pinning Ginny's hair.

Ginny almost choked at the abruptly personal question. But Hermione looked at her with wide eyes, imploring her to answer… and Ginny suddenly found herself put on the spot. "Er… Maybe? I-I mean, yes. I mean, eh…"

"Blokes really like it when you use your mouth to please them." Luna continued on. "I know that Neville really enjoys it. I would imagine that Harry would feel the same… Oh, Ginny! Is it alright if I do your make-up as well? Can't risk the evening being ruined, now can we?"

Ginny saw Hermione gaping up at Luna with a look of pure shock on her face. Ginny knew that if she could turn her head, she would be giving Luna the same exact expression.

"Er… Sure, Luna. You can do my make-up. Merlin knows that I don't know how… But, what was it that you said about Neville?"

"Oh that? Yeah… Neville enjoys the blowjobs that I give him. I would even argue that he likes them more than actual sex… either that, or they are both tied… depending on his mood, really."

"So, you're experienced in sex, Luna?" Hermione asked, no longer shocked, or embarrassed, as the opportunity to learn something new presented itself to her.

"Oh, of course." Luna said. "I find that I'm naturally quite a sexual creature… and Neville was more than willing."

Hermione abruptly scrambled to her feet, and ran to her knapsack at the end of her bed, before grabbing a piece of parchment paper and a quill and ink. Then she ran back, excitement overtaken over her face. She sat in front of Ginny once again and encouraged Luna to continue.

"Let's start with the blowjobs." Hermione stated, in an informative voice, even though she was the one that was about to learn new things. "What sort of advice do you have for us to make it good for a wizard?"

Ginny gaped at Hermione at her blatant way of learning something so… personal.

But Luna seemed unbothered by the questioning. In fact, she seemed pleased by the attention. "Well, the first thing that you should know is that an inexperienced wizard won't last very long. So, don't be alarmed or disappointed that it will be over quickly. But all that will change the more that you practice."

Hermione nodded as she quickly jotted down notes… mouthing the words 'inexperienced' and 'practice' as she wrote them.

"A-Any tips?" Ginny asked, hesitantly joining in on the conversation as her curiosity overtook her.

"Oh, I have plenty…" Luna said, dreamily. "I always like to start by teasing him a bit. You can do this by tracing his length with the tip of your tongue. It really works wizards up in a good way. Then after you get him all bothered by your teasing, is when you finally take him into your mouth. Make sure to start off slow, and also cover your teeth with your lips. Oh, and you could fondle his testicles with your hand."

The scratching sound of Hermione's quill was going at a furious pace.

"You'll want to try hollowing your cheeks and to caress him with your tongue while you have him in your mouth. That'll make it even better for him. Then, build your pace up a bit as you go, make it feel as though you are chasing his orgasm along with him. Also, don't be afraid to switch it up a bit by popping him out of your mouth to lick at his slit… It gives your jaw a bit of a break and it drives them mad… knowing that they can't predict your next move. But also because the head of the penis is the most sensitive part."

Luna paused and waited as Hermione finished jotting down the notes that she had been taking. When Hermione finished, she looked up at Luna again and asked, "Any more advice?"

Luna thought this over, her hands finally pausing in Ginny's hair as she thought about her answer. "Make sure that you don't think of it as a favor just for him. It should be satisfying for the both of you, and you should see it as such. If he thinks that you are enjoying yourself, then he will enjoy it even more."

Hermione jotted this down, saying the words, "Be enthusiastic" as she wrote it on the page.

Then she looked up again.

"What about when he finishes?" Hermione asked, in an intellectual manner. "Do you recommend swallowing?"

Luna nodded, enthusiastically. "I do. But you don't have to if you don't want to. I know that Neville enjoys it more when I do."

Ginny still couldn't believe that Neville, of all the sixth-year blokes, was the first to lose his virginity. Back before she really got to know him, she would have thought that Harry would have been the first to have sex… considering that he was the Boy-Who-Lived and any girl in the castle would immediately throw themselves at him if he even gave them a lingering glance… He could have easily sacked as many witches as he had wanted, but he hadn't. And it really showed Ginny a lot about his character.

Apparently, Harry only fantasized about one witch… and that was her.

The thought caused a secret smile to twitch at the corners of her lips. She imagined what sex with Harry would be like. Just from the way that they snogged, she knew that it would be passionate.

But what about their first time? Nerves shot through her just at the thought.

"Any other advice for sex, in general?" She asked, needing to know anything that could potentially help her in the future.

"It will hurt your first time, but it wasn't as bad as I originally thought it was going to be…" Luna began. "As for the advice, make sure that you move together and find a rhythm. If he's on top, don't just lay there and take it like a frozen statue. Tilt your hips up to meet his. Also, don't be afraid to run your hands over him as you do it. You could reach down and grasp his arse-cheeks in your hands… You could play with his nipples a bit… they are pretty sensitive. You can even stick a finger into his bum-"

"Luna!"

"What?" Luna asked, nonplussed. "I heard that most wizards like that."

Hermione looked enthusiastic with all of the notes she had already taken. "This is all brilliant!"

But as Ginny thought over everything that Luna had described, and pictured her and Harry in those exact situations… She found herself overcome with doubt and fear.

"I-I don't know, guys… how to you even get to that point? It all seems so fast."

Hermione stopped her writing and looked up at Ginny with a soft expression on her face. She set down her quill and reached up and grasped Ginny's hand in hers. "Ginny… Don't worry. You're allowed to take everything as slow as you want to take them. Remember that Harry is just as inexperienced as you are, and you can both learn and figure out a pace together."

At those words, Ginny found herself feeling infinitely better and she found herself nodding at her friend.

Suddenly, a tempus alarm sounded from Hermione's wand, startling Hermione and Ginny.

"Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed, standing to her feet once again and running to the mirror. "That means that we only have an hour left before the ball! We better get moving!"

"I'm done with your hair." Luna stated, a hint of pride in her dreamy voice. "Time to do your make-up."

Luna walked around Ginny and started in on putting all sorts of flesh-colored goo and powder over her face, as well as black eyeliner and mascara around her eyes.

From all of the meticulous touch-ups that Luna did to her face, Ginny imagined that she was bound to end up looking like a clown at the end of this experiment…

It was forty minutes later when Luna finally proclaimed that she was finished. And Ginny found herself afraid to look at the result of what her face looked like in the mirror. Instead, she sat, unmoving, in her chair until Luna coaxed her out of it and in front of the full-length mirror…

What Ginny saw shocked her. That couldn't be her reflection, could it? There was no sign of little Ginny Weasley to be seen… instead, stood a grown witch. With intricately curled, red hair that was braided in some places, and pinned up into a delicate updo on the top of her head. Her skin looked creamy in its paleness, and her eyes looked even wider than usual with the black eyeliner and mascara accentuating them. Her lips were painted a dusty, pink color, looking plush but natural from the chosen shade. Her cheeks were accented by a subtle, pink blush which contrasted nicely with the dark blue of her gown.

The gown had been a belated birthday gift from Harry. He had given her the galleons to buy a gown one day, completely surprising her. At first, she had refused… Almost getting angry at him as he insisted. Until he had reminded her that he had neglected to give her a birthday gift last summer. But it was really only after he had pouted at her, did she finally relent.

Ginny had then snuck off to Hogsmead through the secret tunnel Harry had shown her and went and bought her gown. It was the most beautiful clothing that she had ever owned. The sleeves were short but thick, and rested on the side of her shoulders. The entire dress was a solid color of dark blue, and had a heart-shaped design on the top, then flowed down in layers of light fabric down from her waist.

Altogether, Ginny couldn't deny that she looked stunning.

"L-Luna…" Ginny said, shocked as she stared at herself in the long mirror. "Y-You made me beautiful."

"I had to." Luna said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Had to keep the Beltzurts from ruining the evening."

Then Luna turned and started pinning her own curls on the top of her head.

From across the room, Hermione smiled at Ginny. Ginny thought that her friend looked beautiful, with her own make-up now done. Hermione came up next to Ginny and laced her arm within hers, both now facing the mirror together. "What did I say? It's Harry who won't know what hit him tonight..."

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A/N: Please leave a review! :)


	37. Chapter 37

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Chapter Thirty-Seven

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Harry was leaning against one of the chairs by the fireplace in the common room. Next to him were both Ron and Neville as they chatted about what the ball was going to be like this time around. They had all already changed for the occasion and had been waiting in the common room, passing by the time, ever since. Ron was wearing his orange bowtie with his black dress robes. The orange color clashed with his hair, but was a significant step-up to his ensemble the last time around for the Yule Ball.

Harry had even made a special effort on his hair… using some of the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion that Hermione had handed to him earlier with a very pointed look. Harry had taken the hint and gave the potion a chance, and he had to admit… it worked miracles. It had taken a while to work all of the potion into every strand of his hair, but the results were well worth it. It had caused his hair to not stick up in random and odd directions… and allowed him to push it back so that it looked sleek but with just enough fluff that made him look, well,  _debonair_  - as Hermione would describe it.

"This time around for the ball will likely be better for all of us," Neville commented, conversationally, as they waited. "I won't have to worry about stepping on Luna's feet this time, because she'll likely be standing on my feet as we dance, anyways."

Harry couldn't help snickering at that. "Yeah, I remember noticing Ginny wince a lot as you stepped on her toes while dancing at the Yule Ball."

Neville flushed at the friendly jibe, his eyes looking pointedly down at his shoes as he scratched the back of his head. Ron grinned at Harry and nudged his arm lightly with his elbow. "Noticed her even back then, huh, mate?"

Harry shook his head with a regretful sigh. "Not as much as I should have, to be honest. But I still noticed her. Not in the  _romantic_  sense, back then, but… you know."  
He really wished that he could go back in time and shake some sense into his younger self… just so that they could have both wasted less time. But he doubted that his younger self would listen to reason, he had been so  _dense_ …

Ron nodded, before he sighed. "Well, I'd better go. I told Susan Bones that I would meet her downstairs outside of the great hall." He turned to Harry and clapped him on the shoulder. "See you down there, mate."

Harry smiled slightly and waved a hand at him as Ron walked across the common room and out of the portrait door. Leaving both Harry and Neville alone.

As they waited, they chatted conversationally about the D.A. and how it was going so far. Harry could tell that Neville was proud of being a part of the group since its formation and being there as it grew.

"I still have my coin from last year!" Neville told him, excitedly. "I hope to Merlin that I don't lose it. That's something that I want to keep to show-"

" _Bloody hell…_ "

Neville stopped with what he was saying mid-sentence as they both turned to the person who had interrupted him.

It was Collin. He was standing halfway down the boy's stairs, frozen, as he stared at Harry with a look of both shock and appreciation.

Redness immediately overcame Harry's pale cheeks, as he tried to look anywhere except for at his girlfriend's best mate…

"H-Hey, Collin…" Harry forced out, as one of his hands came up to scratch at the back of his neck. "Are you excited about tonight? I know that Ginny is glad that you agreed to go with her."

Collin merely gaped at him, a fact that caused Harry to twitch in discomfort.

"You alright there, Collin?" Neville asked, concerned for the younger boy as he looked from in-between Collin and Harry.

This seemed to finally snap Collin out of his trance, and his cheeks pinkened at having been caught staring. "Y-Yeah… Sorry, I'm just…  _wow_."

Collin shook his head, seeming to get rid of any remaining cobwebs, before he looked up again at Harry and smiled shyly. "You do something different with your hair, Harry?"

Harry swallowed, trying to quell the discomfort he felt in favour of making everything seem normal, as per usual. "Yeah, actually. Hermione forced me to try some of her Sleekeazy's Hair Potion."

Tilting his head slightly, Collin nodded. His eyes roving over Harry's appearance without an ounce of subtlety. "Well… You should think about using it more often. I mean, I love the messy, bed hair look you usually have, but this…? Well,  _damn_ …"

Harry flushed under the praise, not quite knowing how to respond. It was true that Harry thought that his hair looked better this way, as well, but he also knew that it took too long to work the potion into his thick strands of hair. For that reason alone, he understood why Hermione only used it for special occasions.

As Collin continued to check him out, the fifth-year boy suddenly brightened with an idea. "I'm going to go get my camera!"

Collin turned, running back up the stairs to the boy's dormitories, to go fetch it.

Harry groaned out loud. "Not that  _bloody_  camera,  _again_ …!" Harry stressed, much to Neville's obvious amusement. "I  _swear_ , that if he asks me to pose again, like he did years ago, I'll-"

A slight coughing noise interrupted Harry's rant. His eyes snapped up before his head swiveled to follow his gaze to the top of the girl's staircase. Hermione stood there, smiling down at him, excitement in her eyes.

Harry smiled, completely forgetting about his irritation, and the camera, at his sister's presence. She looked beautiful. Her hair was sleek and curled, just as it had been for the Yule Ball. And she wore the slightest bit of makeup, her lips painted a dusty pink that matched her gown.

Harry stood fully from his perch against the chair, walking forward to the stairs as Hermione walked down to meet him.

"Hermione, you look beautiful." Harry told her, putting as much meaning into his words so that she knew that he really meant them.

Hermione flushed at the compliment but smiled all the same, taking it in stride. "Thanks, Harry. You look really nice, yourself! I'm glad to see that you listened to me by using the hair potion that I gave you! It really works wonders, doesn't it? I just wish that it didn't take so long to work into hair, because otherwise, I would use it every day, and-"

"Hermione!" Harry laughed, taking her hands in his as he calmed her down from her rambling.

She flushed even more. "Sorry… It's just that, well, I'm really excited for tonight. It will be nice to spend the ball with a friend this time around, rather than being nervous about a date, like I was with Victor."

Harry nodded with a grin, and squeezed her hands reassuringly. "We'll have a great time. I'll make sure of it. And I promise that I won't be a complete dolt and mope the entire time, like I did for the Yule Ball…"

Snorting, Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you do that to me, I may just have to send Ginny after you to set you straight…"

Harry laughed, having no doubts whatsoever that Ginny would do that and so much more if he managed to upset Hermione tonight. And though he got turned on seeing Ginny gloriously angry - he knew that he wouldn't very much like it when it was directed at him, instead of at any other unfortunate soul.

He liked his balls the way that they were now, thank you very much.

"Speaking of Ginny," Harry said conversationally as he peered behind her up the stairs. "Where is she?"

Hermione turned her head and followed his eyesight, before turning back to him and explaining. "She's helping Luna with some finishing touches. They sent me ahead to make sure that you boys wouldn't get too antsy waiting."

Harry nodded, accepting the explanation, before a clicking sound and a bright light caused him to jump back in surprise, his eyes seeing spots from the unexpected brightness.

"That was perfect, Harry!" Collin exclaimed, his face hidden partially behind his camera as he looked through it. "Now, can I have one of just you? Maybe by the fireplace?"

It took a moment for him to blink away the spots, before he turned his head to scowl at the younger boy. It didn't matter that Collin was Ginny's best friend… Harry still found him downright irritating.

_Snap!_

Another bright flash of light.

"That's it, Harry! Scowl for the camera! Give me your best broody expression!"

…

Ginny and Luna were walking down the winding stairs within the girl's dormitories. She had been helping Luna pin small, yellow flowers and butterfly figurines into her hair. And Ginny had to admit, that it looked really cute.

It was clear that Luna seemed satisfied, as she had looked one last time in the mirror and declared that the evening wasn't going to be ruined after all… then went on to talk about Beltzurts, whatever those were...

When they got to the top of the stairs that led down to the common room, Ginny paused at the top while Luna continued on, oblivious. And Ginny absentmindedly heard Luna comment that they needed to find a good broom closet before all of the good ones were taken...

Ginny froze as she watched what was unfolding in the common room below her… Collin had his camera out and was accosting Harry with picture, after picture, after picture…

Harry looked so irritated as he glared at Collin, and Ginny found the expression on his face to be rather…  _hot_.

In fact, Harry looked  _more_  attractive than his usual, everyday appearance. His hair was sleek and smoothly brushed back. Not at all in it's usual disarray of messiness. And his black, dress robes accentuated his broad shoulders quite nicely.

Ginny's heartbeat thudded in her chest as she stared at him, watching as he was still oblivious to her arrival.

But then, he seemed to sense her intense gaze, as his eyes flicked up to meet hers…

She watched as the irritated expression he wore melted off of his face, leaving nothing but awe and raw appreciation in its wake.

" _Gin_ …" Harry breathed, not even paying attention to Hermione as she side-stepped out of the way with a small smile. "You… I…  _Wow_."

A large grin split across Ginny's face. His reaction was well worth the hours that she had inflicted to get in the current state that she was in.

That one look that he was giving her made her feel as though she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

Ginny descended the stairs, having to break eye contact with him just so that she could look at her feet… to make sure that she didn't step on the long fabric of her dress, which would cause her to trip and fall.

As soon as she made it to level ground, she looked up at him again. He still had that awestruck expression as he drank in every detail about her. Until, finally, he came back to himself, and slowly started to step forward until he was right in front of her.

Immediately, he gathered her into his arms. Pulling her close and flush against him as he pressed his face into the curve between her shoulder and neck. Harry inhaled deeply, breathing her in.

" _I can't believe that you're mine…_ " Harry whispered, pressing a kiss on the side of her neck, which caused her to shiver in delight.

"Well, believe it." Ginny replied, breathless. "Because you'll find that you'll have a hard time getting rid of me."

Harry scoffed, finally pulling away just enough so that he was looking into her eyes. "As if I would ever want  _that_!"

Then he leaned in, kissing her. With a feather-light touch of his lips to hers, as though he were savouring her whole being.

A click and a flash of light interrupted them, and Ginny broke away from Harry to turn a cursory look over at Collin. " _Collin_!"

Collin didn't even have the gall to look sheepish… and, oddly enough, Harry no longer seemed irritated by the intrusion. Instead he looked at Collin's camera with piqued interest.

"Can I get a copy of that last picture?" Harry asked, turning them now so that he merely had one arm wrapped securely around her waist.

Collin froze for a beat in stunned silence, before he positively beamed at Harry. "S-Sure! Absolutely!"

Ginny watched in a side-glance as Harry smiled, pleased. And she found the soft curve of her own lips lift at the mere fact that Harry wanted a picture of  _them_ …  _together_. As a  _couple_. Enough for him to politely ask someone who annoyed him deeply for it.

Harry caught her looking, grinned wider, then leaned in to press a chaste kiss to her cheek. When he pulled back, he looked regretful as he sighed. Then he unwound his arm from around her and handed her over to Collin. "I expect you to take care of her, Collin. I'm putting you in charge. Make sure no other boys touch her without her permission. I want her back in the same condition as she is in now."

Collin nodded as he looked at Harry imploringly, willing him with his eyes to trust him.

Ginny went to Collin willingly enough, then she turned back towards Harry. Facing him as she leaned against Collin by propping her elbow onto his shoulder. She watched as Hermione went up to Harry then, taking the liberty of looping her arm through his.

She smiled at them together, not even remotely threatened by it. Before she retorted with a snarky reply, "I'm guessing that includes you then, Mr. Potter?"

Harry rose an eyebrow at her tone of voice, as well as her comment. "No, actually. I get a free pass. I was thinking of more along the lines of Malfoy or Dean…"

Ginny, Collin, and Hermione all snickered at how sour Harry's tone had gotten as he brought up his two rivals. But internally, Ginny mused over how she found Harry's jealousy and possessiveness to be  _extremely_  attractive. It just reassured her that he was willing to fight  _for_  her, and  _over_  her, at  _any_  time. Just the thought caused her heart to skip a beat as it made her to realize the depth of Harry's feelings for her.

"Hey…" Collin suddenly mused, looking around the common room curiously. "Where did Luna and Neville go off to?"

They all looked around, and sure enough, both Neville and Luna were gone. And it was then that Ginny recalled the comment Luna made as she was walking down the stairs…

Ginny looked pointedly at Hermione, meeting the other girl's gaze, before she said, "Luna said that they needed to find a good broom closet before all of the good ones were taken…"

Hermione's face darkened to a dark shade of pink at the indication. Harry flushed as well, but not to the same degree… as he was in the dark about the extent of what Luna and Neville were  _really_  up to in that moment. And she wasn't about to go and enlighten him.

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	38. Chapter 38

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Chapter Thirty-Eight

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Just as last time, at the Yule Ball, they all sat down for dinner and told their plates what they had wanted to eat after looking at the menu. Harry had chosen a mushroom-stuffed chicken platter that had him salivating as soon as it had appeared. And just with every other Hogwarts meal, it had been delicious.

As he ate, all the while making conversation with Hermione, he couldn't stop his eyes from straying over to where Ginny sat at the other side of the round table…

 _Merlin_ … She was so gorgeous. She looked breathtaking in the silk, blue ball gown she was currently wearing. The contrasting dark color managed to make her red hair all the more vibrant, something that Harry had previously thought to be impossible. As far as Harry was concerned, the galleons that he had given Ginny to buy the gown were some of the best he had ever spent.

Harry looked down at his hands, flushing at the blatant affection his thoughts had taken when he thought of Ginny. And he wondered, not for the first time, how he had managed to have Ginny return his affections… especially after he had studiply rejected her the first time she had decided to express them to him.

A burst of laughter cut him away from his thoughts, and Harry looked up at the infectious noise. Ginny had her head thrown back, laughing at whatever it was that Collin had said with animated body language. As Harry watched them, he couldn't hold back the spark of jealousy as he saw them together… obviously having a grand old time.

It was ridiculous, really. He had no reason to be jealous of Collin, of all people. Yet, he still found that he couldn't shake the feeling.

He knew, in the deepest part of his heart, that he wished that he was the one sitting next to Ginny at the moment… making her laugh just as she was right then.

Harry shook his head, trying to shake the emotion away. Before he turned his attention back to Hermione.

What he saw caused him to smile, affectionately. She really looked as though she were having a good time, as well. Her eyes looked all around her in wonder at the intricate and magical decorations the Great Hall had adopted for the evening.

There was also a bit of smug pride in the twinkle of her eye, left over from when they had walked down the main staircase together. Ron had been at the bottom of the stairs, within a large group of other students lingering outside of the Great Hall. And when Ron caught sight of them walking down the stairs, it looked as though his eyes were about to pop out of his head.

It was clear to Harry that Ron especially liked how Hermione looked tonight… so much so, that he had completely forgotten about poor Susan Bones at his side, who was his date for the evening.

After dinner, the prefects and their dates were the ones to open up the ball with the first dance. And since Hermione was a prefect, Harry had to be the one to lead her in the first dance. Which made him even more grateful that he had thought to have Hermione give him dance lessons before the ball.

Sure, he still wasn't perfect at dancing, but he was no longer the fumbling buffoon that he had been at the Yule ball.

After the first dance, Harry and Hermione stayed on the dance floor as everyone else joined in. Somehow, Hogwarts had managed to book  _The Weird Sisters_  to play for the evening, which excited a lot of the students. They started out with a fast rock number, which had Harry and Hermione jumping up and down as they kept up with the beat.

Harry had to admit… he  _was_ having a really good time! Once he gotten past his insecurities of other people watching him dance, he found the activity to be rather fun!

It wasn't long before a breathless Harry and Hermione stumbled over to their seats, sweating and trying to catch their breaths.

"Merlin, my feet are killing me!" Hermione complained, lightly, as she took off her heels and stretched her toes by pointing them outward.

Harry nodded in agreement. His feet were bothering him as well, but he found that he had no room to complain that to a girl who had been bouncing around in heels all evening.

They sat there in companionable silence for a moment - each trying to catch their breaths and slow their heartbeats - as they watched the other students dance and laugh.

When Harry turned slightly to look at her, he smiled, and grabbed her hand. "Hermione… Thanks for coming with me. If I couldn't go to the ball with Ginny, I'm glad that I was able to come with you."

Hermione beamed, and squeezed his hand in return. "Of course, Harry. I feel the same. Since I couldn't come with Ron, I'm glad that I got to come with you instead of someone else."

Harry rolled his eyes at the mention of his best mate. "Ron's an idiot for not asking you. He had to have known that I would want to go with Ginny after we started going out. I honestly don't know what he was thinking asking Susan Bones instead of you."

Hermione's expression became contemplative, before she sighed in resignation. "It is what it is, I guess."

Resolute, Harry firmly shook his head. "No. It shouldn't have-"

But he wasn't able to finish what had been about to be a tirade about Ron and his unwillingness to admit to his feelings for Hermione… Instead, the sudden presence of Professor Slughorn stopped any more words on the matter from leaving his tongue.

"Harry, my dear boy!" The portly man greeted him jovially. "How has your evening been?"

Harry grinned awkwardly at the professor, and replied with a simple, "Fine."

Slughorn nodded enthusiastically. "Right you are, my boy! A very fine evening it is. Now, would you ever so mind if I stole your date from you for a bit of time, Miss. Granger? Mr. Potter must come and meet some of my former students from the Slugclub! Some of them were able to come and join us for the evening."

Not ever one to dare deny a request from a professor, Hermione instantly agreed. "Of course, Professor."

Now, no longer having a choice, Harry stood slowly and started to follow after the Professor, leaving a comment behind for Hermione that he would find her later.

As Harry trailed behind Slughorn, he was led into a den that was behind the where the teachers normally sat and ate in the Great Hall.

The room was full of varying ages of adults… Harry being the only one his own age. And Harry found that he really hoped that his 'Slughorn duties' would be over quick. So that he could go back to spending time with his own friends instead of pretending to be interested in what strangers were saying.

…..

Ron sat at the table. Looking intensely at where Harry and Hermione were dancing on the dance floor, having a good time.

He realised that he was sulking. And that he had no right to be. But he really couldn't help it. He had been all prepared to have a good time tonight… with Susan Bones.

But then…

But then, Hermione had showed up… looking like  _that!_

And-And  _HOLY BLOODY HELL_  did she look  _beautiful!_

All that he wanted to do was to go right up to her, pull her into his arms, and never let her go. But he couldn't… because he was here with Susan Bones.

"Are we going to dance?" Susan asked suddenly, looking thoroughly put-out with him. He could hardly blame her.

"No." Ron replied simply, not even wanting to entertain the idea of dancing at the moment.

It was clear that this irked Susan even more but the prominent frown on her lips. "Why did you even agree to go to the ball with me, when you clearly have feelings for Hermione?"

She said it so bluntly that it nearly gave Ron whiplash as he turned to look at her. "Wh-What?"

"Oh, don't play dumb with me! You know, you're a real jerk, you know that?" She stated, heatedly, before getting up and storming off. Ron watched her walk off, a dumbfounded look on his face.

Witches…  _bloody mad_  creatures they were. There was no pleasing them, was there?

Ron sulked even more at the thought, dropping his head into his hands and feeling even more sorry for himself now that he was alone.

Tonight was a bust. Even worse than the Yule Ball… at least then, he had Harry as company as they had both brooded together.

But no… Harry  _had_ to go ask Hermione to the ball. When he knew perfectly well that Ron fancied her! And, beyond that-

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden presence of a body sitting in the seat next to him. Ron lifted his head and looked to the side, only to start when he noticed that it was  _Hermione!_

She looked over at him, curiously, in that way of hers. With pursed lips… furrowed eyebrows… Ron always thought that the expression made her look as though she were trying to work out a difficult puzzle.

"Why are you sitting alone?" Hermione asked him. "Where's Susan?"

Ron sighed, his shoulders hunching as he was once again reminded that his date had ditched him. "She left. Called me a jerk."

Her head tilted questioningly. Ron thought that it looked adorable.

"Why would she do that?"

Ron knew why. Susan had said so before she had left him. She thought that he had feelings for Hermione. Which  _was_ true… but he couldn't tell Hermione that.

So, he merely shrugged one shoulder, a universal sign that he didn't want to discuss much more on the matter.

Hermione was quiet as she studied him for a moment longer, before she finally let the matter go. "Well, Harry was taken away by Slughorn for a bit. And I came over because I was wondering if you wanted to dance… but you don't seem to be in the mood-"

" _I would love to!_ " Ron exclaimed suddenly, perking up at the offer. The idea of wrapping his arms around Hermione, pulling her close, was too good a idea to pass up.

It might very well be the only chance that he had to do so.

She seemed surprised by his eager acceptance by the way her eyes widened and the way that she leaned back from the sheer volume of his exclamation. Before she relaxed and smiled sweetly at him.

Hermione stood, and held her hand out to him, which Ron readily accepted before standing himself. He led her by the hand out to the dance floor.  _The Weird Sisters_  were taking a break at playing, and it was back to the orchestral music that played a song they could dance slowly to.

Ron stood awkwardly in front of Hermione, in the middle of the dance floor full of swaying couples. He wasn't sure how to begin.

Hermione smiled at him slightly, before she stepped forward and grabbed his one hand, leading it to her waist.

Ron held in a gasp at the warmth he could feel emanating through her dress where he touched her. She grabbed his other hand in hers, and then they were swaying… Ron instinctively taking the lead.

It took a moment for them to find a rhythm, but once they had, the rest of the world faded around them. Ron stared into Hermione's eyes, so deep and brown, and found himself leaning forward without any thought of his own.

His arms constricted, drawing her closer, and Hermione willingly followed.

He could feel her breath upon his cheek. Her heart beating wildly in her chest as it pressed against his own. And in that moment, Ron stopped thinking. Let go of his instincts of planning his moves three steps ahead, as he always did in chess.

Instead, he lived in the moment. He followed his heart instead of his mind. So, Ron leaned forward - slow enough to give her enough time to pull away - and he kissed her.

And it felt right.

Merlin, did it ever feel right.

…

Ginny watched as Collin spit out the red liquid, choking as laughter shook his entire body. Ginny grinned, triumphant. She had purposely waited for Colling to take a drink from the punch bowl before she did her impersonation of Gilderoy Lockheart.

They were standing by the punch bowl, taking a break from dancing to watch their peers… while simultaneously making up ludacris and dramatic stories of each of the students evenings.

For example, Ginny had pointed out Malfoy who was dancing with Pansey Parkinson, and said, " _Did you know that Malfoy and Pansey_ _ **both**_ _lost a bet, so they had to go to the ball with each other?_ "

While Collin had pointed at Meyetta and Josephine and told Ginny that they hadn't been asked to the ball, so they had to use love potions in order to get dates. Ginny honestly wouldn't have put it past her dormmates.

Either way, Ginny was having a good time. Enough for her to not be too disappointed that she wasn't here with Harry at the moment.

"You did that on purpose!" Collin accused, as he wiped red punch off from the sleeve of his black dress robes.

Ginny snickered. "I will neither confirm, nor deny."

Collin scowled at her and had been about to retort, when another presence stepped forward. He looked to be a fourth-year boy with golden, blonde hair. Ginny honestly didn't know which house he was from. But he looked extremely nervous as he looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Er… H-Hello." The boy stammered. "M-My name is Sterling… Sterling Knight. And, I was wondering if you wanted to dance…"

Ginny, who had been about to reply with a ' _No, thank-you_ ', stopped as Sterling turned to Collin and held out his hand in offering.

Collin looked startled at the extended hand, looking as though the fingers would grow fangs and bite him. Before his shock started to leave him, and Collin melted slightly.

"S-Sure." Collin said, before looking sideways at Ginny. "If it's alright with Ginny."

Ginny looked on, and felt a growing smile stretch her lips. "Of course! Have fun!"

Both boys grinned at the blessing, and Collin took the offered hand in his own, and they walked away together towards the dance floor.

Ginny beamed at the sight, happy for her friend, as she watched them walk off together. Before she realized that she was now alone… her grin fell a bit, but she almost immediately brightened once again. It was as good a time as any to find Harry and cash in on her promised dance!

She leaned up on her toes, searching the crowd for her devilishly, handsome boyfriend… with no luck. Ginny frowned, wondering where it was he could have gotten off to… trying not to feel the disappointment of not being able to find him so that they could share the dance she was most looking forward to.

When suddenly, she felt a tug on her arm as she was literally dragged from the spot she stood. Ginny's head snapped sideways, looking to see who the perpetrator was of such a  _rude_ display…

It was Dean, and he had his hand wrapped firmly around her wrist, pulling her along to the dance floor.

" _Dean!"_  Ginny hissed, trying with all her might to pull her wrist free as she dug her heels into the floor.

He stopped, feeling the tug on his hold, and turned to look back at her. " _Please_ , Ginny… just  _one_ dance. Hear me out… Then I promise not to bother you again."

Ginny glared at him, not able to believe the  _nerve_ of this boy! How  _dare_ he treat her as though she were nothing but a  _ragdoll…_ a  _plaything_ for him to enjoy. But Ginny found that her curiosity won out over her annoyance…

"Oh, this ought to be good." She said, sourly, wanting to cross her arms in that moment, but was unable to because of his hold on her wrist. "If you have something to say to me, we do it  _off_ of the dance floor."

Dean considered this for a moment, before finally nodding. Ginny took back her hand, rubbing at her wrist, as they both walked up to one of the empty tables. Dean sat down first, and Ginny followed him; making sure to have an empty chair in-between them.

"Next time you want to have a conversation with someone, maybe you should just  _ask_ them instead of  _literally_ grabbing them." Ginny said, with just enough bite in her tone to make Dean flinch.

"I was afraid that you were going to say no." Dean admitted, suddenly looking very sheepish as he looked down at the table.

"Then that is my decision." Ginny stated, imploringly, as she finally was able to cross her arms. "I don't  _have_ to talk to you if I don't want to. I don't owe you anything."

Dean was quiet as he processed this, and Ginny found that her patience was running thin.

"So?" She asked abruptly. "What was so important that you needed to rudely grab my wrist and drag me off for?"

Dean swallowed thickly, and his hand came to rub at his mouth as he bided his time.

"Why are you with him? Harry?" He finally said as he dropped his hand and looked straight into her eyes. "Give me one good reason."

Ginny sat back into her chair, her arms still crossed as she rolled her eyes at him. How many times did she need to prove her relationship with Harry to Dean before he would leave them alone? It really was getting quite old… "Does there need to be a single reason?"

"Yes." Dean said, immediately. "At least one that is more important than all the rest. I can think of one for why you and I should be together, and why you  _shouldn't_ be with Potter.'

Ginny was silent, not quite able to believe the audacity of the words coming from his lips. Why didn't he ever factor in her own choice in the matter? He treated her as though she were a prize that he and Harry had to fight amongst themselves over. Nevermind that she had already chosen to be with Harry! It was now, more than ever, did Ginny truly understand why it was that Dean had chosen 'The Claiming Duel'... He didn't even respect that she had won that duel for her own hand! Would he have respected it if Harry had dueled on her behalf and won?

"The difference between me and Potter is that you will always be my number one priority." Dean continued on when she didn't say anything. "That will never be true for him. He will always have his distractions. Like the D.A., quidditch, and  _especially_ fighting You-Know-Who."

He sat back, smug. As though he thought that he had cornered her with a point that she hadn't thought of before. Little did he know, she had thought it over many times, already.

"But that's the thing, Dean." Ginny said passionately, as she sat up straight in her chair, laying her hands down flat on the table. "I don't  _want_ unwavering attention. In fact, I don't need it. All of the things that you just listed about Harry is part of the reason why  _I love him._ "

Saying it, those three little words, out loud… quite literally  _shocked_ Ginny. Did-Did she just say that she loved Harry? Out loud? But as she played the words over in her head, she realized that it was true.

She was in love with Harry.

Dean's attention snapped to her, his eyes were fierce and he had a deep look of displeasure on his face.

" _Love?"_  He spat.

But Ginny ignored him and continued on with the point that she wanted to convey. Her feelings for Harry wasn't any of Dean's business, anyways. "Harry is  _driven_ , Dean. He has aspirations and goals. Which I find to be both attractive and admirable."

She could tell that he was starting to get angry, and she felt her own frustration rise as he continued to ignore her words of what she wanted - which was Harry. "But can't you see that he is all wrong for you?!"

"No. He is honestly  _just right_  for me." Ginny argued with a clear voice. Because every word of it was true. "If anything, I should have seen right away how wrong  _you_ were for me when we were together."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, with a roll of his eyes. "We are perfect for each other!"

"Really?" Ginny snorted. The mere idea of it was so ridiculous, it was funny. "Then why were you going to break up with me on the train at the beginning of the year?"

Dean froze, staring at her with an expression that could only be akin to horror.

"Yes. I know about that." Ginny said with slowed calmness. "I also know about the reason why you asked me out in the first place… What was it again…?  _Oh, right._  You asked me out because of  _pity._ "

Her anger had returned, full force, as she glared at him with all of her might. Just the thought of his pity for her still caused her blood to boil.

"Wha- Ginny, no, I-" Dean tried to deny.

But Ginny abruptly stood. "I think that we are done here. You didn't convince me of anything that I didn't already know. Harry and I belong together, and  _you_ are a  _git_. End of story."

Ginny turned and walked away, ignoring the pleas from Dean calling out from behind her.

…

Harry was well and truly bored. He had already been mingling with the former Slug Club for far longer than he had intended.

And to make matters worse, he was being paraded around by Slughorn as though he were some sort of token boy. Being introduced to adults who would gape at him, as their eyes roamed up to stare at his scar.

Then they would continue on to ask him all sorts of intrusive questions. Like if what Rita Skeeter had said about a relationship with Hermione Granger was true, and if they were still together. Which Slughorn had intervened and said that they had attended the ball together.

Harry had to correct him more than ten times, stating that he and Hermione were only friends and that he had a girlfriend. Which they would all coo at, stating how adorable young romance was.

One person even had the audacity to ask him what it was like to be an orphan. It was difficult to stay on his good behavior at that question by not cursing the woman who asked, and Slughorn had good enough sense to pull him away after hearing the offensive question.

It continued on like that. Until, finally, Harry felt that enough time had passed for him to feel comfortable enough to tell Slughorn that he was going back to the ball. "Professor?"

He had interrupted the man while he was in the middle of an exuberant laugh. But the portly man still turned to Harry at the inquiry in his voice. "Yes, my dear boy? What is it?"

"I think that I've neglected Hermione for long enough. She might be wondering where I am."

Understanding overcame his features. "Oh, but of course! The poor girl was left without a date for long enough. Go, Mr. Potter. I shall see you in class on Monday."

Harry smiled politely at the man, before turning quickly. Knowing that he had to get away while he had the chance.

But it was as he was making his way over towards the den's exit doors, when someone caught his eye…

He stopped instantly in his tracks, and stared at her… watching as she nodded politely at whatever it was the man next to her was saying.

Harry picked his jaw up from off of the floor, and took a minute to compose himself slightly, before he rushed over to the witch. When he was right next to her, the witch in question turned curious eyes over to the newcomer before she instantly recognized Harry Potter in front of her.

Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened in shock. "You-You're-"

"You're  _Gwenog Jones!_ " Harry interrupted, excitement overtaking his sour mood instantly, as he extended his hand and eagerly shook hers.

Still dazed, Gwenog robotically shook back. "You…  _You_ know who  _I_  am?"

Harry nodded, a wide grin stretching his lips. "Of course! You're an excellent quidditch player! How could I  _not_ know you? Merlin, this is bloody brilliant! I'm meeting Gwenog Jones!"

Her shock was slowly starting to melt off of her face, as a hint of a prideful smile graced her lips. "You're sweet… but I still can't believe that I'm talking to  _the Harry Potter!_ "

Harry waved her off. "Oh, I'm not that much of a big deal. But  _you…_! Merlin, the way that you single-handedly built the Holyhead Harpies from nothing, is bloody brilliant!"

Gwenog actually blushed at the compliment, bashfully looking down at their still shaking hands, and let go. "Yeah, well. It was nothing, really. Nothing compared to defeating You-Know-Who when you are only a one-year old."

Harry shrugged, choosing the let the compliment slide, instead he changed the subject. "So, listen… I have a girlfriend, and she is your number one fan! Could you possibly come meet her? Please?"

It looked as though Gwenog was about to say yes, but the forgotten man next to her cleared his throat in disapproval. When they both looked over to him, he shook his head. "No can do… As soon as Gwenog steps out there, she will be bombarded by kids wanting her autograph. Besides, we were just about to leave…"

Harry's eyed the man, questioningly, wondering who he was.

Gwenog seemed to notice, as she quickly clarified. "Harry, this is my manager, Flint Flickbeard."

Harry tried not to snicker at the man's name, but a small chortle managed to slip out. Flint rolled his eyes at him, before stating, " _Yeah… yeah_. I have a funny sounding name. Look, Gwenog, we really need to be going, so say goodbye to Harry Potter, here and-"

"Wait!" Harry cried out desperately. He knew that if he got to meet Gwenog and Ginny didn't, he would feel guilty for quite some time about it. Especially since the only reason he, himself, was a fan was because of Ginny. "My girlfriend, Ginny, is an excellent quidditch player! Can you at least come watch one of our games? To see how good she is? She really wants to play for the Holyhead Harpies, one day."

Gwenog paused and contemplated this, before she responded, "What position does she play?"

"Chaser." Harry said with a prideful smile. "For the Gryffindor team."

Gwenog nodded as she thought this information over. "What did you say her name was?"

"Ginny Weasley."

Flint Flickbeard tugged on Gwenog's arm once again, indicating that they really needed to get going. Gwenog managed to resist for just long enough to say, "I'll come to your next match."

Then, she turned, making their way to the fireplace to use the floo.

Harry stared after them, with wide eyes, until what had just happened caught up to him…

" _ **Yes!**_ " Harry exclaimed, and he shot a triumphant fist into the air. Completely unconcerned by the number of eyes that turned to him and watched him amusedly.

He, Harry Potter, had essentially gotten the  _Gwenog Jones_  to scout his girlfriend at their next quidditch match! He couldn't  _wait_ to tell Ginny! She would surely snog him and declare him to be ' _Boyfriend of the Year_ '! It was Ginny's dream to play professionally for the Holyhead Harpies, and Harry had just helped to make that possible! He had to go find Ginny to tell her, and…

Harry's excitement waned as common sense found him. Perhaps he  _shouldn't_  tell Ginny that Gwenog was coming to their next match… It would only make her nervous while playing, as she would be too worried about performing instead of playing naturally.

 _A surprise then_ … Harry mused. He wouldn't introduce her to Gwenog until  _after_ the match.

It would be difficult to keep it a secret from Ginny, as he was giddy just at the thought of what her expression would be as soon as he told her, but Harry knew that it was for the best.

With that thought, he turned to leave the den… a now distinct skip in his step.

…..

Ginny was standing alone.

Had been for a while.

It was a while ago that she had left Dean sitting at the table. And just a bit ago, she had noticed Collin sneak off with Sterling while holding hands. A sight that Ginny couldn't help but grin at. It was clear that the two were going off to snog each other, and Ginny couldn't even find herself being remotely upset at the fact that Collin had essentially ditched her.

But she still found herself feeling…  _disappointed_. She couldn't find Harry or any of her other friends anywhere. It made her feel uncomfortable and forgotten as she just stood on the sidelines, back against the wall as she watched the rest of the school having fun.

She wished that Harry was here, right next to her, and couldn't understand why she hadn't seen any sight of him since the first opening dance.

After a long while of not seeing any of her friends, Ginny started to feel a tad bit self-conscious. And she felt her eyes start to prick a bit as the feelings of insecurity overwhelmed her.

Perhaps she should just cut her losses and head back up to Gryffindor tower… at least then she wouldn't feel like everyone was watching her with pity in their eyes... even though they weren't. But her self-conscious mind told her that they were all staring.

But the stubbornness inside of her told her to scan her eyes through the crowd just  _once more_ … to look  _once again_  for the head of black hair and bespeckled eyes.

She kept telling herself to look once again. Wanting more than anything for this night not to be ruined.

"So, he  _finally_ ditched you, huh?" A voice said to her left.

Ginny looked over at the person, surprised by the venom put into so few words.

It was Romilda Vane.

"Wh-What?" Ginny asked, completely flabbergasted at the vindictive look on the younger girl's face as her eyes roved all over Ginny with undisguised disgust.

"Harry. He  _ditched_ you. I would say that it was about time, too. He deserves  _so much better_  than  _you_."

Quickly, Ginny got over her shock, and stood up straight - feeling her hackles rising, along with her temper. "Who the  _hell_ do you think you are?!"

Romilda grinned a sickly, sweet smile. Ginny wanted to slap it off of her face. "Harry's future. So,  _back off_ if you know what's good for you."

And before Ginny could say anything else to the girl, or even whip her wand out to curse the girl, Romilda walked off and was gone.

Ginny reflected on the words she said. A large part of her knew that they were absolutely ludicrous. Harry would  _never_ ditch her. But…

But, what if he had…?

Ginny tried to shake the stray thought away, firming her belief that Harry would never leave her for a  _cad_ like  _Romilda Vane_ …! But the thought remained… no matter how small it was.

.

.

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	39. Chapter 39

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**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

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Harry exited the den, immediately setting his gaze over the crowd to look for either Hermione or Ginny. Because of Slughorn, he had neglected them both… a fact that he was starting to feel guilty about.  _Especially_  with Ginny… He owed her some dances, and he hadn't cashed in on any of them yet.

Not seeing anyone that he was looking for at all, Harry walked forward, searching all the while.

Until he, quite literally, bumped into someone.

" _Ofph!_ " Harry let out, immediately feeling embarrassment at the fact that he hadn't been looking where he had been going. He looked up at the person he had run into, and recognized the blue gaze of Dumbledore looking back at him. "Oh… I'm sorry, Sir."

Dumbledore smiled down at Harry, the twinkle never leaving his gaze. "It's quite alright, Harry. No harm was done. How are you enjoying your evening?"

Harry smiled up at his mentor. "I was pulled away by Professor Slughorn to meet his former students for a while…"

This news seemed to please Dumbledore greatly. "I'm glad to hear it, Harry. It pleases me greatly that you are taking your assignment to get close to Professor Slughorn seriously."

Harry beamed at the praise. Normally, any compliment from any other person made him feel uncomfortable. But any praise coming from Dumbledore actually felt well deserved… and as a result, made Harry feel mighty pleased with himself.

Then Harry suddenly remembered what it was that he needed to ask Dumbledore as soon as he saw him. He hadn't the chance to ask him since he had been on Wizengamont business all week. "Sir? I was wondering if we could speak in private after the ball? I have something that I would like to talk to you about…"

Dumbledore's aged face grew serious as he took in Harry's nervous expression. "Of course, Harry. I will see you in my office after the ball."

Harry let out a breath, and nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Sir."

Dumbledore nodded, and turned to walk away. Before he paused and turned to look back at Harry. "Oh, and Harry, I happen to really like snickerdoodles… do you?"

It took Harry a second to understand the random question, before he brightened and nodded. Dumbledore gave one last nod, before he took his leave.

Now that was taken care of, Harry was now free to enjoy the rest of the ball. He returned to his search for Ginny or Hermione, walking all the way to the other side of the room.

He didn't see either of them among the crowds for a while. Until he spotted the coveted sight of fiery, red hair by the far wall. Harry's brows furrowed as he noticed that she was alone as she was staring out the window at the chilly, night sky. Why was she alone? What happened to Collin? And where was Hermione or Ron?

Harry chose not to question it any further, instead he strode forward and made his way to his beautiful, Ginger Firecracker.

He stopped when he was right behind her, and wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her waist.

Her reaction was immediate. She jumped at the contact, before she simultaneously twisted in his arms while pushing him away. Then Harry was shocked to find her wand pointed in his face, right at his nose.

"Gin?" Harry asked, concerned as he looked cross-eyed at the wand directed at his nose. His hands were thrown up in surrender.

"Oh." Ginny let out, lowering her wand instantly as she realized that it was him. "H-Hi. I thought that you were someone else..."

With her wand now gone, Harry could now focus on her face… and what he saw caused his heart to break. Her eyes were red-rimmed… she had been crying.

"Gin, what's wrong?" Harry asked immediately as he lowered his arms. "What happened?"

Ginny sniffled, and shook her head. "I-It's nothing. It's all silly, really."

Harry shook his head and stepped forward, gathering her into his arms. Her body was stiff against him, and he could tell that she was purposefully trying to hold in her emotions. He wished that she didn't have to feel the need to do that around him. But it was one thing that Harry knew about Ginny since he had first met her… and that was that Ginny Weasley never cried over silly reasons. "It's obviously not nothing. Tell me what's wrong."

Ginny let out a shuddering breath against his shoulder, in a way that told him that she was gathering her wits. "It-It was just that Dean had said some things… and so did Romilda Vane. And I couldn't find any of our friends or you… so, I felt a little abandoned, and… well, it's all silly."

Harry denied this claim by shaking his head. "No. It's not silly… In fact, it's perfectly understandable. And I'm sorry that I wasn't around… Slughorn had gotten to me and pulled me to meet some of his former Slug Club members. I'm not sure what happened to Hermione or Ron, but where did Collin get off to?"

At the mention of Collin, Ginny pulled back from him slightly and actually smiled. "He went off to snog a fourth-year boy."

Harry's eyes widened at this information, before a deep-settled anger and annoyance bubbled inside of him. He had  _trusted_ Collin to look after Ginny…! And not only had Ginny been left alone, it seems that Dean had gotten to her in the meantime! " _Well_ , he shouldn't have left you alone!"

Ginny shook her head, and immediately started to defend her friend. "No. It's not like that. He asked me if he could dance with him, and I said yes. I don't think that he knew that I wouldn't be able to find any of you guys to spend time with. I didn't even know it."

Harry took this at face value and let it go, if only for Ginny's sake. He didn't want to ruin her night any further by getting into a row about her ' _supposed'_  friend. But he still let out a huff of annoyance, and let one hand go of Ginny to run roughly through his hair, mussing it up a bit. "I'm sorry that you felt abandoned…"

Ginny shook her head, and smiled up at him. "It's alright. You're here now."

At that, Harry found himself melting, his anger starting to leave him, as he started to smile at her. "That's right. Now, let me make it up to you. I know that I owe you a dance, Miss. Weasley."

Ginny smiled, but she hid it by leaning her forehead against his chest… He felt her lips kiss the clothed skin there, and he sucked in a breath at the feeling.

" _That would be nice._ " Ginny whispered.

Harry unwrapped himself from around her, but left one arm securely around her waist as he led her to the dance floor. He wanted to spend the rest of the night making up his absence to Ginny. Because even though he knew that it wasn't his fault that he was pulled away from the ball, he still felt like a cad for inadvertently being one of the reasons she cried.

When they got into the middle of the dance floor, Harry turned to face her, pulling her flush against him. And on the very next note, he began to lead her. He stepped and she followed. They turned together in twisting circles, until Harry thought that it was an adequate time to step back and twirl her.

Ginny laughed merrily as she was pulled back into his embrace, and Harry grinned broadly at the noise.

He couldn't change the last hour for her… But if nothing else, at least he could give her this.

"You've gotten better at this!" Ginny exclaimed, with a large grin stretching across her beautiful face. "Dancing, I mean."

Harry beamed at the praise, and accentuated it by suddenly bending her back into a low dip. Ginny squealed with laughter at the unexpected action, as Harry brought her up and back into his arms again. "I had Hermione teach me a bit during our free periods. I wanted to practice so that I could surprise you."

Ginny looked up at him and pecked him on the lips. "Well, I am. Pleasantly surprised! Who knew that Harry Potter had it in him?"

In response, Harry merely chuckled.

The music then changed into a new song, the tempo for this one much slower than the last…

Harry held her close to him, reveling at the feeling of warmth her body gave to him - as well as the tingling sensations that he always got from her close proximity. His cheek was pressed into the side of her hair, his nose close enough that he could smell wafts of the flowery shampoo that she always used… the very scent that he smelled coming from the amortentia love potion.

Ginny, herself, had her own cheek resting upon his shoulder, her face tilted away from him.

He heard and felt her give a contented sigh, as her body started to relax its tense posture from earlier. He closed his eyes as they swayed back and forth in the single spot, choosing to give up fancy dance moves in favor of intimacy. Having her, in his arms, felt like home to Harry. He never wanted to give the feeling up… he never wanted to give  _her_ up.

"Harry…?" Ginny whispered, as she turned her head so that her face was pressed into his neck. Harry hummed in acknowledgement, letting her know that he was listening. "Why are you with me?"

Harry's eyes snapped open.  _What?_

He backed away slightly so that he could look at her face. Her expression had a level of uncertainty as she looked up at him, but was otherwise unreadable. "What do you mean?"

Ginny swallowed, and averted her eyes down to their feet. "I mean, what do you even see in me?"

Harry dropped one hand from around her waist and brought it to her chin, lifting her face so that he could see her beautiful eyes. "Gin… where did this come from?"

Ginny bit her lip, worrying it for a moment, before she let out a huff of annoyance… presumably at herself. "I-I don't know… I guess it was just something that Romilda Vane had said to me earlier, about me not deserving you. I guess it brought back old feelings of insecurity."

Harry's expression hardened as he felt his blood start to boil. He abruptly stopped dancing. "Come with me."

Harry unwound his arms from around her and grabbed her by the hand. Then he was leading her, none too slowly, out of the Great Hall. He kept walking until they were a ways away, in an abandoned, darkened hallway… where he pulled her into the first alcove he found.

"Harry…?" She started, before he cut her off by pressing her into the castle wall and kissed her.

And it wasn't gentle. He didn't wait for the silent permission before he immediately shoved his tongue into her mouth, tangling it with her own and coaxing it to life.

Ginny let out a startled moan from the back of her throat, before she forgot about what she had been about to say - as well as her insecurities - and threw her arms up around his neck… kissing him back.

Merlin, it was difficult not to get lost in this… in the feeling. But there was a rhyme and reason to his abruptness. He was doing this to prove a point.

He forced himself to pull back, startling her once again at the abruptness of the action, as she looked up at him with a confused and dazed look.

"First off," Harry started, panting as he tried to find his breath. "Romilda Vane is a bitch." Ginny's eyebrows rose at the vulgar term, but she pointedly didn't argue against it. "And I would never be interested in her even if you and I  _weren't_  already going out, and I wasn't just about  _barking crazy_  for you."

Then he leaned in, and planted his mouth on hers again. Kissing her passionately for a moment, before he pulled away yet again. Only this time, not so far… she was only a breath away. Ginny whimpered at the loss, and tried to bring her hands up to coax his mouth back to hers… but Harry managed to resist.

"Second," He continued. "What I see in you is that you are smart. No one else thought to resurrect my parents like you did."

Harry leaned to the side, and planted a long, lingering kiss on her cheek.

Against her cheek, he kept on. "You are so funny that you make me laugh, even on my broodiest days."

His lips trailed up and he kissed her temple.

"You  _never_ take anything lying down and you are  _not_ a pushover."

He was at her ear at this point, and he took the lobe into his mouth and bit it lightly, causing her to gasp. Harry tried not to grin at the response.

"But despite that, you still have a big and kind heart." He was at her shoulder now, and his teeth made indents where he nibbled at the bare skin there.

" _H-Harry…!_ " Ginny gasped, her fingers coming up to tangles themselves into his hair, musing it up even further to the point that it must have looked as messy as it always did.

"You have an inner strength and perseverance that knows no bounds… so much so, that it has been known to inspire me on occasion." His lips were now at her collarbone, sucking the protruding skin around the bone into his mouth. Her fingers tightened in his hair, tugging on the strands.

"You are loyal, and I know for a fact that you will always be willing to stand by my side. Even when things get difficult." He was up to her neck now, sucking a bit of skin into his mouth as he nibbled on it… giving her the most delicious of pressures.

Then he finally let go, and straightened so that he could look deep into her eyes. From the surrounding darkness, he couldn't make out the warm color of them. But it didn't matter, because he had the color memorized and burned into his mind.

" _And if nothing else_ ," Harry whispered, bringing his hands up to frame her face. His thumbs brushed back a few stray hairs that had been stuck to her cheek. "Before we were even a couple, you were a friend when I needed one most. You really think that  _Romilda Vane_  could be any of those things to me, if not all of them like you are?"

Ginny bit her lip and stared up at him with furrowed eyebrows. "But still, you could have any girl in the castle…"

"I don't want just  _any_ girl. I want  _you_." Harry said, passionately, revealing the utter truth of his words. "Gin… you are  _all_ that I've ever wanted. You make me forget all of the bad things in my life… in fact, you make me  _happy_. Since I was young, that was all that I ever wished for. And you gave that to me."

Ginny stared at him for a long moment, before her face launched forward, attacking him with a long kiss. Harry came willingly this time, allowing himself to get lost in snogging her. Enjoying the sensation of getting lost in the new roughness they had never tried before.

If the tenting in his trousers were any indication, he quite liked it.

Ginny suddenly used her weight against the wall to lift both of her legs so that they were wrapped around his waist. Harry nearly choked at his shock by the action, but quickly helped her secure her slender thighs around him.

Her long, blue dress hiked up a bit. A fact that Harry was very acutely aware of as his one hand landed on her bare, creamy skin. His fingertips trailed up and down at the newfound skin, there… creating feather-light touches that caused Ginny to shiver in delight every time his fingers passed.

His other hand was at her waist, fisting the fabric of her dress into his hand.

It was as though he were living in a dream…

He tilted his head even further to the side, trying to deepen the kiss even further… a plan that Ginny seemed to be quite the fan of.

Merlin, would he ever get used to her taste? Her scent that was attacking his senses? He really hoped not.

They broke apart, both desperately needing air to fill their lungs. Ginny panted into his mouth, sucking in mouthfuls of air.

"Will you come up to my room tonight?" She asked, surprising Harry as his eyes snapped up to hers. "We could continue this up there… snog in my nice, comfy bed…"

Harry groaned just at the mental picture that she had painted for him.  _Merlin_ , did he ever want to say yes… He was  _tempted beyond belief_.

But…

"I-I  _can't_ …" Harry said, his voice implying how much he really wanted to, and his head bowing slightly in his regret. "There is something that I need to do tonight… Something important with Dumbledore."

He hated having to tell her this. To disappoint her in such a way, especially after she had spent the evening feeling abandoned by everyone.

Ginny frowned slightly, and her eyebrows furrowed in concern. And regretfully, she slipped her legs down from his hips until she was standing on her own two feet. Harry mourned the loss immediately. "Oh? Anything you need my help with…?"

Harry shook his head. "It's not anything bad… nothing life-threatening."

Ginny's brow furrowed even further. "What is it?"

Harry bit his lip, debating on what he should tell her. On one hand, he wanted to tell her everything right away, just to bask in the excitement of the idea. But on the other hand… what if he were to fail? He was sure to need her to cheer him up, if that were the case. But he didn't want to get his hopes up any more than they already were, which would happen if he told Ginny now. "I can't say anything now…" Harry confided, running his hand where it still touched her hip. "But I promise, that I'll tell you everything tomorrow. When we are alone, even if it works or if it doesn't. I'll tell you every detail."

He could tell that Ginny didn't much like this… but she nodded anyways, accepting reluctantly.

Harry smiled reassuringly at her, and planted another kiss on her lips in apology. This one short and sweet. A vast contrast to the kisses they had just been sharing.

And when he pulled back, it was to see a slight smile growing on her lips again. "I'm going to hold you to that promise, Potter."

Harry grinned, hearing her usual confidence come back to her voice. "Oh, I believe that you will. I wouldn't expect anything different."

…...

"Snickerdoodles." Harry stated to the gargoyle statue, and it opened immediately for him, revealing the spiraling staircase. Harry nervously stepped onto the first step, and it started to move up the towards the office for him, just as it did every time.

He had just kissed Ginny goodnight at the portrait door for Gryffindor tower. A part of his heart was still there… with her. Wanting more than anything than to take up her offer and to just join her in her bed as she had asked.

To just forget about the impossible task he was about to set out to do.

But he couldn't. This had to be done. He would never forgive himself if he turned back now.

"Enter." The Headmaster's voice come from within the office, and Harry hadn't realized that he had been standing in front of the closed door.

He took a deep breath, and opened it.

Dumbledore was standing next to his desk, holding a watering can which he was using to water a bundle of dead lightbulbs that were tied together by twine. It was just the sort of odd behavior Harry was used to seeing from the Professor.

Dumbledore looked up as he closed the door behind him. "Ah, Harry…" Dumbledore greeted, setting down the watering can on the corner of his desk. "Did you enjoy your time at the ball?"

Harry grinned slightly as he thought back on how he and Ginny had chosen to spend the remaining time at the ball, and nodded. "Yes, actually. It was a lot of fun."

Dumbledore nodded in return, accepting his answer as he rounded his desk. "I'm glad. Though… I remember your hair being a tad tider than it is now, when I had bumped into you earlier…"

The suggestion in his tone spoke volumes, and Harry flushed at being caught in what he had actually been up to. The embarrassment didn't help with his nerves, at all.

Harry chose not to reply to the Professor's blatant observation, and Dumbledore didn't dwell on it. Instead, he pulled back the ornate chair in front of his desk and sat down in it.

"Now, Harry," Dumbledore started as he folded his hands in front of him on top of his desk. "What is it that you wished to discuss with me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his tone, but the Professor hid it well. From someone who didn't know him as well as Harry did, they wouldn't have caught it.

Harry swallowed.

Coughed.

Then swallowed again.

There seemed to be a lump in his throat that refused to disappear. Harry watched with uneasy eyes as Dumbledore watched him fidget from foot to foot, swaying from side-to-side.

"You know that you can talk to me about anything, Harry."

Harry froze for a moment before nodding. Dumbledore nodded in return, and put his hand up in offering, indicating to the chair across from him. Harry took the hint and sat.

They sat in silence for a long moment, while Harry worked up his nerve.

"I-I wanted to ask you something, sir."

"What is it?"

Harry huffed out a long sigh before finally sitting up straight in his chair, leaning slightly across the desk towards the Headmaster.

"I-I had introduced my parents to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny a while back through the Resurrection Stone..." Harry paused for any sort of reaction that the Headmaster would have to this, but only saw that Dumbledore looked unsurprised by this revelation. So Harry continued. "And after I had introduced Ginny, she said some thoughts that were rather  _interesting_..."

Dumbledore still looked rather unbothered and calm as he nodded for Harry to continue.

"She said that she didn't understand why it was called the 'Resurrection Stone' if it didn't  _actually_ resurrect people. So, we've been researching ever since for ways to resurrect them. My parents and Sirius."

Dumbledore's face finally dropped into shock.

" _Harry..._ "

" _But we haven't been having the best of luck with the research_." Harry quickly continued on, afraid that Dumbledore's interruption would ruin his momentum. "That was why I was in the restricted section that night, Professor. It was to find more information about resurrecting the dead."

Dumbledore stared at Harry, aghast. His eyes looked as though they wanted to bore holes into Harry's skull. Seemingly unable to say anything.

"About a month had passed with no answers, and my mum and dad told me that I should stop my research. They thought that I should focus on  _other_ things, you see. But a couple of nights ago, I got a letter from Remus. In the letter, he told me about how he had lost his copy of Sirius' will, and that he had looked everywhere for it. It wasn't until he remembered that he could just go to Gringotts and request another copy, did he finally find the solution. He then went on to tell me that if at any time, I lost all hope at finding answers, it is best that I  _retrace my steps_  and go to the  _source_. At first, I couldn't understand why him telling me this struck such a chord with me... before I realized that it  _was_ the solution to my problem. All that I had to do was  _go to the source!_ "

Dumbledore stared at him, emotionless. Harry was in too deep to his tirade to care at the moment.

"Don't you see, Professor?  _You_  were the one who gave me the invisibility cloak!  _You_  were the one who first told me of the Deathly Hallows!  _You_  were the one who gave me the Resurrection Stone! And  _you_  were also the one who told me that you hunted and researched the Deathly Hallows for quite some time,  _yourself…_! If  _anyone_ knows anything about the Deathly Hallows, it's  _you_. You have the knowledge about them... far more than any  _book_ could tell me, and-"

"I cannot help you, Harry." Dumbledore interrupted, his voice grave and his eyes looked aged beyond belief… the twinkle now gone from his gaze. "Not because I can't, but because I shouldn't. Resurrecting the dead isn't  _natural_ , Harry. And there are bound to be consequences.  _Dire ones_ , at that. You best just move on and be glad that you have this gift to communicate with your parents from beyond the grave."

The air was sucked from his lungs.  _No…_ He couldn't do this to him. He  _can't!_

"No. I'm not giving in that easily." Harry said, his voice resolute, as he abruptly stood from his chair and slammed his hands upon the Headmaster's desk. "You  _owe_ me, Professor. You owe me for my lost childhood... You  _could have_  assured Sirius a proper trial, so that I could have been raised by him,  _but you didn't_. Instead, you gave me to the  _Dursleys_. And you know what? I was raised without a  _single thought_  of love or kindness in my life. It's a wonder that I didn't grow up to be a dark wizard…!"

" _Harry-_ "

"No." Harry interrupted, throwing his hand up in a universal sign that the Headmaster should not speak. "You know what they  _did_ to me?! What  _he_  did to me?! They had me  _sleep in a cupboard_  underneath the stairs! They would just  _shove me in there_ and  _lock it_  to be  _rid of me!_   _For days!_  With  _no food_  or  _water_...! Did you ever wonder why I was so small as a first year? It was because I didn't have the proper nutrition! Especially as I was showing signs of accidental magic, they would punish me. Uncle Vernon would  _whack me_  and encourage Dudley to  _hit me with sticks!_ Aunt Petunia would try to swat me  _on the head_  with a  _frying pan!_  They would  _constantly_ call me a  _freak_. Made me cook their meals before I could even reach the counter, and not even allow me to have  _any of the portion of food_  that  _I_ had cooked. Instead, all I ever got was their  _scraps_ , if there ever were any. Do you know how many oil burns that I had gotten over the years just from cooking their fried food?! And that's not all… Uncle Vernon would  _curse me_  openly and  _praise Dudley_  all in the same breath! I would get regular  _beatings_ while Dudley got new toys. They  _abused_ and  _neglected_ me. And you  _not only left me there_ , but you  _still_ make me go  _back there_ every summer!"

When Harry cut off, it was to a deafening silent room. Even the portraits stared at him. But Harry didn't care. It felt good to finally have it all out there in the open. To finally show the Professor all the damage that had been done.

He was right when he had said that it was a wonder that he didn't end up as a dark wizard, after all of the abuse he had endured as a child...

" _Harry…_ " Dumbledore breathed, his eyes wide, and his face entirely broken with what looked to be a mixture of guilt and regret. "I had  _no idea_  that it was that bad."

"Well," Harry said, as he glared down at the floor. "You would've known if you had ever bothered to check up on me."

Dumbledore was quiet. Staring at Harry in absolute shock.

It was clear that Dumbledore wasn't used to seeing Harry go off like this.

"You owe me some happiness." Harry said, lowly. Carefully. " _Besides_ , you told me that in order to defeat Voldemort, that I have to have the power of love in my life. What is more powerful and instant than the love that parents have for their child?"

Dumbledore removed his half-moon spectacles with a sigh and rubbed at his closed lids, with his good hand. "I suppose that I do owe you that much."

Dumbledore dropped his hand and opened his eyes wearily, staring at nothing on his desk. "For what it's worth, Harry, I am deeply sorry for my part in your upbringing."

And Harry could sense that it was the truth… and that fact made him feel a slight guilt over the fact that he had just went off on the man before him.

"I don't blame you entirely." Harry admitted, scratching a hand down through back of his head. "It's like you said… you didn't know. How could you have known that my mother's  _sister_ would allow me to be raised in such a way? I just wish that you had thought to check up on me."

Harry sat down slowly in his chair, once again. Feeling a calmness start to take form in his chest.

"I was too focused on the bigger picture, Harry." Dumbledore sighed. "I was so fixated on the enchantment surrounding Privet Drive which kept you safe from outside sources, that I didn't think about whether you would be safe  _within_  the enchantment."

Harry exhaled as he finally was offered the explanation he hadn't known had been plaguing him for years. "Thank-you for telling me that, sir. It's nice to finally know why…"

Dumbledore nodded, before he finally lifted his eyes to meet Harry's. "I need you to do something for me after this is done. It is a part of your training, and I want to make sure that you won't lose focus on it."

Was that a partial acceptance to help him? Was Dumbledore really going to go against his better judgement and help Harry resurrect his dead family?! But only if a favor was returned, apparently… So, Harry hesitated before nodding. "What is it, sir?"

Dumbledore stood and made his way over to the pensive. They had been using it for his training for quite a bit of time, now. The Professor rested his hands upon the sides, before he looked back at Harry, still seated by the desk. "As you know, we have been looking into Tom Riddle's past… trying to figure out when he had exactly become the Dark Lord we know as Voldemort."

Harry stood and came up to stand behind him, looking into the blank pensive along with the Headmaster. Dumbledore graced him with a slight, sideways smile before taking out a vial containing what Harry recognized to be a memory. "I remember, sir."

Dumbledore poured the memory into the pensieve. "After you, Harry."

Harry leaned his head forward, the closer he got the more of the familiar sucking sensation overcame him… until he was suddenly submerged completely.

It wasn't long until Dumbledore had followed him and together they watched the memory unfold. Harry immediately recognized a younger Slughorn, holding a get-together of what Harry believed to be the Slug Club. Among the students there, Harry saw that one of them was Tom Riddle in his later Hogwarts years… He looked about the same as he had from his memory in the diary.

Tom was charming… almost eerily so. Like a snake in sheep's clothing.

It wasn't long until the memory shifted… and it was only Professor Slughorn alone in the room with Tom.

Tom was saying something about how he had found something in the restricted section that he didn't understand. And that he couldn't think of any other Professor to go to ask other than Slughorn.

" _As I understand it… It's called a-_ " Suddenly the memory became muffled and muddied and Harry couldn't understand what Tom was saying no matter how much he tried to strain his ears.

And as soon as it happened, it sooner became sharp and clear as Professor Slughorn started to yell at Tom. " _I don't know anything about such things! And if I did, I wouldn't tell you! Now get out of here AT ONCE! And don't you dare go around mentioning it again!_ "

Harry gasped as he was sucked out of the memory.

"Confused?" Dumbledore asked, looking at him with his usual level of calm. "I would be surprised if you weren't."

"I don't understand…" Harry began, looking down at the pensieve that still contained the memory. "What happened?"

"This is perhaps the most important memory that I have collected." Dumbledore said, with a sudden urgency. "It is also a lie."

Harry's eyes widened at the implication, but still struggled to understand it.

"This memory has been tampered with." Dumbledore continued to explain, his eyes looking imploringly into Harry's, urging him to see... "By the same person who it belongs to… Our old friend, Professor Slughorn."

If possible, Harry felt his eyes widen even further. "But why would he tamper with his own memory?"

"I suspect that he is ashamed of it."

"Why?"

"Why, indeed." Dumbledore mused, his hand coming up to stroke at his long beard as he thought over the theories. "I have asked you to get close to Professor Slughorn, and you have done so. Now I want you to persuade him to divulge his true memory. In  _any way_  you can."

"I-I don't know him that well, sir." Harry admitted, thinking back to all of the times he had been forced in the Potions Professor's company, and how he usually dreaded every second of it.

Dumbledore dipped his good hand into the pensieve. "This memory is everything. Without it, we are blind. Without it, we leave the fate of our world to chance. You have no choice… You must not fail."

Harry paused at the grave nature of the Headmaster's words, before he found himself nodding seriously, but still rather uncertain.

"Now, I should hope that with the resurrection of your parents, as well as Mr. Black, that you will be more focused on the assignment that I'm giving you now… Correct?"

Harry found himself nodding more firmly now, trying to convey to the Professor how serious he took this matter.. "I promise, sir. I promise,  _literally_ , on my parents' lives."

Dumbledore stroked his long beard once again, musingly. "Then, I suppose that we shouldn't put it off any longer, shall we?"

For the first time since entering the office, Harry actually started to smile. The pricking of tears started to gather in his eyes behind his spectacles. " _Th-Thank-you_ , sir… You… You have  _no idea_  what this means to me."

Dumbledore smiled fondly at him, resting his good hand upon Harry's shoulder affectionately. "I only wish the best for you, Harry. You must know that. I will never set out to intend you any real harm."

Harry nodded, and Dumbledore pulled his hand away and put his hand into his robe pocket, retrieving his wand…

"Harry… Feast your eyes upon the Elder Wand… The last Deathly Hallow." Dumbledore explained, holding up the wand in question for Harry's awed inspection.

Harry's eyes widened at the sight. The wand looked old and worn… but also gave off the sense of great power. He realized, quite acutely, that many wizards had killed over this very wand. And here it was… in Hogwarts in the possession of the Headmaster.

"Harry, you must claim the wand for yourself." Dumbledore stated, still holding the wand up for Harry to see.

Harry reached out to grab the wand for himself, but Dumbledore pulled it away. "No, Harry. You must disarm me using Expelliarmus. Only then will the wand recognize you as its true master."

"But…" Harry started, in confusion. "If that is how it works, then how come it doesn't happen for other wands?"

"Because this is no  _normal_ wand, Harry. This wand came from  _Death_ , itself." Dumbledore explained. "Now, take out your wand, Harry."

Harry did as he was asked, taking out his Holly and Phoenix feather wand, and pointed it at the Professor.

"Whenever you're ready." Dumbledore said, holding up the wand even more.

Harry focused all of his attention on the wand and stated clearly, " _ **EXPELLIARMUS!**_ "

The wand snapped out of Dumbledore's hand, flying the short distance to Harry, where he promptly caught it.

Dumbledore sighed and smiled at Harry. "Congratulations, Harry. You are now the Master of Death."

Harry's eyes bugged out at this and he looked down at the ancient wand within his grasp. "How does that help in resurrecting my parents?" He couldn't help but ask.

"To master Death, means to control Death, Harry." Dumbledore explained, a slight bit of worry in his eyes as he said so. "It is precisely the reason why Death was so adamant on claiming all of the Peverell brothers for its own."

The thought should have been terrifying to Harry, but all that he found that he had the energy for was the naked determination to bring his family back to life.

"So…" Harry said, in a whisper. "What do I do next?"

It was clear that Dumbledore's last statement had been the Headmaster's last ditch effort to get Harry to change his mind. And as a the opposite result happened, Dumbledore slumped his posture slightly, in defeat.

"Take out your cloak and the Resurrection Stone." Dumbledore instructed, and Harry quickly followed what he was asked.

Dumbledore then instructed him to donn his invisibility cloak over his shoulders and to hold the stone tight within the grasp of his forefingers and to hold it out far in front of him. Oddly, neither his parents or Sirius appeared this time as he held the stone...

"Now," Dumbledore continued, as Harry did as he was told. "Point the Elder Wand at the Resurrection Stone."

Harry did just that, feeling as though his heart was about to beat out of his chest at any given moment. "What is the incantation, Sir?"

"This stems from the most ancient of magic… it requires no need for spells or chants. Just point the wand, Harry. And think about what it is that you want to be done. Close your eyes, and picture their faces in your mind."

Harry pictured Sirius… His strong, brave Godfather. A man who lost his life in trying to save Harry. A man who gave him the first taste of what it felt to have a real family…

Then his father's face came to mind… His funny wit, his unwavering loyalty… How he had lost his life to Voldemort while fending him off with no wand… all to buy time for his mum to escape with Harry as a baby.

Then he thought of his mum… His beautiful mother. Who was fierce in her beliefs that all people needed to be treated fairly. Who had willingly given up her life so that Harry could live.

They all sacrificed their lives so that he could live… It was only fair that he give their lives back to them.

As he pictured all three of their faces, Harry suddenly found himself overwhelmed with love. Unconditional and pure.

Harry felt the strength of the magic run down his arm and through the wand. Even through his closed eyes, he could see the brightness of the light that followed.

Then, in a flash of a second, the light was gone.

And Harry was left afraid to open his eyes… That is, until he heard three pairs of gasping breaths break the silence in front of him.

With a snap, Harry opened his eyes...

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	40. Chapter 40

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Chapter Forty

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There had been few instances in life where Harry had felt complete and utter joy. Growing up, they had been so far and few between that when one of those few instances happened, it had been permanently burned into his memory. Leaving its mark.

He remembered each and every instance with clarity.

The first that he could remember was the time that he had fallen and scraped his knee at primary school. Dudley had pushed him onto the asphalt ground, then had proceeded to kick dirt onto the open wound… Harry had cried at the stinging pain he had felt, and his wailing had alerted a nearby teacher to the incident. There had been only a light reprimand directed at Dudley for what he had done, before the teacher had escorted Harry to the nurse's office.

The nurse had been kind to him, something that Harry hadn't been used to at the time. She had quickly and lightly cleaned his scraped knee, before she had bandaged it up.

Then, to Harry's utter shock and disbelief, she had opened a container to him in offering… inside were dozens of different coloured lollies. The nurse had told him to choose one.

It had been Harry's first time trying a piece of candy, as he had never been allowed to the treat before. Uncle Vernon had told him that he couldn't be bothered to waste the money on Harry just to buy him sweets…

" _You drain enough money out of me as it is, you ungrateful brat! Now stop asking for a piece of Dudley's chocolates!"_

To say that his first lick of that lolly had Harry shaking with gratitude and joy, would be an understatement. And after that day, Harry had made a point to get injured more often - which wasn't hard with Dudley and his gang bullying him - just so that he could visit the nurse and get the chance to have another sweet.

The next occurrence, that Harry could remember, was when Hagrid had busted in to that small hut on the rocky cliff that Uncle Vernon had taken them to. When Hagrid had told Harry that he was a wizard, it had been the greatest shock of his life. But then he went on to reveal things about his parents that Harry hadn't ever known in his life. Up until that point, all that Harry had been told about his mum and dad was that they were lazy, jobless drunks who went and got themselves killed. He hadn't even been told their names, growing up.

But Hagrid had changed all of that. He told Harry all sorts of things about his mum and dad, to which Harry soaked up all of the information like a dry sponge. And in the process, Hagrid had become his first true friend that Harry had ever had!

After that, the joyous occasions in Harry's life had come faster and easier to him.

There was meeting Ron, then Hermione, on the Hogwarts Express train that first year.

His first arrival at Hogwarts, which was quite a sight to marvel at.

His first ride on a broomstick and his recruitment on the quidditch team.

Hagrid gifting him the photo album of his parents.

Fred, George, and Ron rescuing him from the Dursleys by way of flying car, resulting in his first stay at the Burrow.

Certain peaceful moments spent with Ron and Hermione over the years.

Finding out that Sirius was innocent, that he hadn't betrayed his parents, and that Sirius genuinely wanted a relationship with him.

The Quidditch World Cup with the Weasleys and Hermione, before the Death Eaters came.

His fifth year had been quite miserable, with only a few bright spots of Sirius talking to him through the floo. As well as Ron and Hermione encouraging him to start the D.A.

Then, it had all changed after he arrived at the Burrow this last summer. And, suddenly, his life was swelling with the joy that he felt. And the majority of those moments had surrounded Ginny.

Beautiful, sweet, sexy Ginny… The day that she had agreed to be his, and the moment they had shared their first kiss, was a moment that Harry would always hold close to his heart.

All of these moments stuck out to Harry in what had been a rather difficult life for him.

But  _this_ … this moment he was living right now, was one of those moments that he would remember forever.

The bright light that had surrounded them faded until it had disappeared entirely. They had each been standing on wobbling legs when Harry had opened his eyes, before they all collapsed to the floor in a heap.

They wore white, flowing fabric that seemed to be made out of pure, magical energy… it reminded Harry of what Voldemort had been wearing when he had been brought back to physical form in the graveyard… only the colouring of  _that_ fabric had been pitch black.

Each one of them looked entirely disoriented for a long moment, their hands coming up on their own accord to rub at their heads.

Harry could only stare at them with a wide expression, the elder wand still outstretched and pointed towards the Resurrection Stone.

"Wh-What happened…?" His mum stuttered, confused, as she finally opened her eyes to look all around her.

His dad still had his eyes closed as he rubbed at them, lacking the glasses that he normally wore, therefore couldn't see as clearly as he could with them.

But Sirius… Sirius blinked as his eyes surveyed the room, taking in the odd pieces of magical equipment that littered the room. Until his gaze landed squarely on Harry.

Their eyes connected.

Sirius looked just as young as he had when Harry had brought him forth from the Resurrection Stone. Harry could honestly say that Sirius, and his parents for that matter, didn't look a day over twenty-five… Perhaps even younger.

It took a moment, of Sirius staring at him blankly, before his gaze lightened with sudden clarity.

" _He did it…_ " Sirius whispered, his voice shocked with a touch of building awe. "He-He  _did_ it!"

Sirius was suddenly standing and he rushed over to Harry, gathering him into his arms and lifting him into the air with joy. The action caused Harry's invisibility cloak to slip from his shoulders and onto the floor. "He did it!  _Our_ _ **boy**_  DID IT!"

He spun Harry in a circle as he laughed with exuberance. The abrupt and jerky motion didn't manage to shake Harry from the shock that he still felt, but it had managed to quell his disoriented parents.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw both his mum and dad stand, quickly making their way towards them.

Sirius was still spinning Harry, exclaiming how 'his Godson was the best damned wizard to ever live'. "More powerful than the Hogwarts founders! Even better than Merlin, himself! Instead of saying 'Merlin's Beard', people will now be saying, 'Potter's Glasses'! Though it doesn't quite have the same ring to it…"

" _SIRIUS ORION BLACK!_ " His mum screeched from beside them. Sirius stopped spinning him, and turned to Lily in surprise. She stood with an air of impatience, but also a deep, maternal longing in her gaze as she looked at Harry. "If you don't hand me my son this instant, I may very well hex your newfound bits off!"

Beside her, James nodded in agreement, looking quite serious as he did so. "Yeah, Padfoot. Quit hogging him."

It was with great reluctance on Sirius' part that he loosened his hold on Harry… but as soon as he had, and Harry was released from his clutches, he found himself trapped within a new pair of arms.

His mum pulled him to her, and held him tight. With her so close, Harry could smell her scent… she smelled so nice. And-And it was familiar, too. As though he was remembering her scent from a distant memory. Perhaps he was.

His dad settled in behind him, wrapping both of his arms around the two of them. And it was in that moment, as he felt their warmth seep from their skin to his, where it truly hit Harry…

They were well and truly  _here_. And-And they were  _here to stay!_  He had a family! He-He was no longer an orphan!

The sound of shaking sobs coming from his mum broke Harry from his revelation. He tried to back away slightly so that he could look at her face, but his mum had a tight clutch on the dress robes that he was still wearing. Her face was pressed tightly into his chest as she cried into the fabric, and Harry was once again left to marvel at how small she actually was…

"I-I'm sorry…" Lily cried, tightening her hold on him even further. "I'm ruining your dress robes."

He couldn't help it, Harry let out an amused chortle of a laugh. "You really think that I care about silly dress robes at the moment?"

Everyone around him laughed softly at his comment, and Lily finally lifted her head up to look at him.

Harry gasped at the sight of her eyes. They-They looked  _just like_  his… down to the same shape and the same vibrant green that popped brilliantly against the redness of her eyes. Before, when he had brought them out through the Resurrection Stone, their colouring had been dulled. Almost as though they were little more than shadows.

"It feels so good to be able to hold you in my arms again… To  _feel_ you." His mum whispered, vulnerably, as one of her hands came up to cradle his cheek. "My baby boy…"

Above him, he heard his dad hum in agreement, before he leaned down to plant a kiss on the top of Harry's head. His dad's breathing was heavy… as though he were trying to hold his own tears at bay.

Harry's eyes pricked, and he blinked away the forming tears from his own eyes. He honestly didn't even know what to say. He was afraid that if he spoke, then all of this would turn out to be nothing more than a deceiving dream.

"I honestly don't know what to say, Harry…" James whispered into the back of his head. "This is the greatest gift that anyone could give."

Harry grinned brilliantly as he wriggled one of his hands free to wipe at his eyes, before he shook his head. Then he echoed the thought that he had right before he brought them all back to life. "All three of you sacrificed your lives so that I could live… It was the least I could do to give your lives back to you."

His mum ducked her head at that and they squeezed him harder than before. And out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Sirius on the sidelines and beckoned him over with a tilt of his head. "Aren't you going to join in on this, Padfoot?"

Sirius grinned, and strutted forward. "Well, I might as well make this a  _doggy_ pile…"

They all laughed heartily at that, and Sirius joined in on the embrace as well. Harry closed his eyes, content in the feelings of parental love that surrounded him.

' _So this is what having a family felt like?'_  Harry found that he liked it… a lot.

A clearing of a throat broke Harry from his bliss, and he opened his eyes to see Dumbledore smiling slightly at him, his eyes twinkling once again.

"James, Lily, Sirius," Dumbledore greeted in a pleasant tone. "It is truly good to see you again."

They all straightened from their embrace. Lily wrapped one arm around Harry as she turned them to face the Headmaster, and Harry watched as his dad strutted forward with a very large grin on his face. It was odd for Harry to feel the mounting pride in the depth of his chest as he watched his father walk with so much strength and confidence… while still maintaining an air of friendliness. "Albus! Good to see you!"

James gripped Dumbledore's hand and heartily shook it. Sirius followed and patted lightly on Dumbledore's back in greeting. "Good ol' Dumbledore still has more than a few tricks up his sleeve after all these years, doesn't he? The  _Elder Wand?_  This  _whole time?!_  You ol' dog, you!"

Dumbledore chuckled mildly at the praise. "You haven't changed a bit, Sirius. Though, I must say that you are looking quite healthier than when I last saw you."

Sirius grinned wolfishly and he mockingly turned on the spot. "Yeah. Dying has done me wonders! Look at me! I'm young and handsome again!"

James laughed boisterously at that, and slapped a hand on his best mate's back. "You're not the only one… Though I think that it's a bit weird that Lily and I only look like we're twenty-one, which is only five years older than Harry…"

Harry gaped at the lot of them at that statement. He hadn't even thought of it before… His parents  _had_ been only twenty-one when they had died. His mum had gotten pregnant with him at the young age of nineteen… Would it be strange to have his parents be so young?

But the more that he thought on it now, the more that he realized that it didn't matter. Sure, his parents looked young, but they were still his parents! And he would always look up to them as his parental figures. So, really, age was just a number that didn't matter much.

As Harry thought over this, James turned to Dumbledore and reached out to shake his hand again.

"On behalf of my family, I want to thank you for giving Harry all three Deathly Hallows, and showing him how to resurrect us. I know that you didn't want to, because you have your reservations about messing with this sort of magic, but we appreciate it all the same."

Dumbledore didn't comment in return, just pleasantly shook his dad's hand. But with how well Harry had gotten to know Dumbledore over the years, he could detect an underlying sense of worry and doubt resonating from the Headmaster.

"I'll admit," Lily said from beside him, causing everyone to turn and look at her. "That there were moments where I thought that I could never forgive you for the choices that you made with Harry…" Dumbledore's face morphed into one of deep regret. "But it was not as though you knew… and doing this for Harry, trusting him enough, has more than made up for it."

"I assure you that I did what I thought to be best at the time." Dumbledore said, speaking carefully in a hushed tone. "I see now that I had been gravely mistaken. I hope that you can come to forgive me."

"You're forgiven." Lily finally smiled at him, but she made no move to leave Harry's side to step forward to shake Dumbledore's hand.

Instead, it was Harry who had decided to leave his mother's side, as he stepped forward. He didn't stop until he was right in front of Dumbledore, then he did something that no one had been expecting. Harry held out the Elder Wand in offering to the Headmaster, his eyes urging Dumbledore to take it.

"I don't need it, Sir." Harry said.

Dumbledore seemed deeply shocked at this, before he turned and reached into a drawer in his desk, pulling out a spare wand from within. "Expelliarmus!"

Harry willingly let the wand fly out of his hand, where Dumbledore caught it expertly. Dumbledore actually seemed to let out a satisfied sigh as it was once again within his grasp. He looked up to Harry, his eyes twinkling. "You're a good lad, Harry."

Harry grinned widely at the Headmaster, accepting the praise from his mentor.

Dumbledore looked around at the lot of them, and stated, "I'll leave you to spend this time together. You're most welcome to use my office for as long as you like."

"Thanks, Professor." They all chorused, and Dumbledore took his leave, heading in the direction of that door that Harry now rationalized to be his bedchambers.

Then they were alone…

"I suppose we need to make plans…" Lily sighed, a rationalizing look on her face. James came to stand by her and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Harry, honey, can you conjure some more chairs? This will take some time, and none of us have any wands except for you."

Harry opened his dress robe jacket and reached inside to the inner pocket, where he had put his holly and phoenix-feather wand after disarming Dumbledore.

"Make plans?!" Sirius bellowed, his face etched in disbelief as he stared at Lily. Harry conjured four comfy chairs for the four of them to sit in. "We just came back from the dead and you want to be all practical and make plans?!"

Lily rolled her eyes and scoffed, sending an indignant look towards Harry's Godfather as she crossed her arms. Harry couldn't help but grin as he thought that the expression made her look all the more motherly. His dad, however merely looked between the two, amused. But he tried to hide it by turning his face to bury itself in his wife's auburn hair. "Of course. What do you expect for us to do?"

"At least go out and celebrate! Go torture ol' Snivelus…? I don't know! Help me out here, Prongs!"

James snorted into Lily's locks and turned his head to face his best mate. "Well, I don't know about either of you, but I want to know more about the ball from Harry, here."

Both Lily and Sirius piqued up with interest and the three of them turned to Harry, expectant.

"Didn't you all see it for yourselves?" Harry asked, confused.

All three shook their heads. "While we were dead, we didn't get to see everything all of the time. There were only certain moments when we were allowed, or rather  _able_ , to watch what was happening. It wasn't until the Resurrection Stone where we were finally able to get more than a glimpse into your life, Harry."

Harry's wand fell out of his hand and clattered to the floor at this news. He jumped slightly at the clanging sound that resulted from this, and bent over to retrieve his wand quickly.

"I-I didn't know that… I had always just assumed… Well, I guess it doesn't matter much anymore, anyways." Harry mused, before he realized that he was rambling about nothing. Perhaps, his parents didn't know much about his upbringing as he originally thought… Some part of him was rather relieved at the fact, but another part… just thought that it would be easier if the already knew without Harry having to explain in great detail when he eventually got the courage.

Harry swallowed. "What do you want to know?"

James and Sirius exchanged a look, and both had opened their mouths to say something that Harry assumed would be embarrassing as hell to him.

But his mum cut them off. "Nope. First things first… We need to get a change of clothing…"

At this, they all looked down the the pure magical energy that hid their nudity from the world.

"And where do you suppose we get clothes, Lils?" His dad asked, sweetly squeezing her tighter against his side. Harry beamed at the sight, especially since his mum couldn't keep the twitch of a loving smile from growing on her face because of the action.

They each thought over their options, before Harry brightened with an idea.

"I could ask Ginny for clothes for you, mum!" Harry volunteered on behalf of his girlfriend. He was sure that she wouldn't mind lending his mum a jumper and jeans… and from what Harry could tell, his mum and Ginny looked to be around the same size. "I promised her last night that I would meet with her this morning, anyways. And I'm sure that she will want to come here to see all of you again."

All three of them seemed to brighten at the idea of Ginny joining them. It seemed that they wanted an extra perspective of what happened at the ball last night.

"What about for Sirius and I?" James asked his son.

Harry eyed the both of them, knowing that they were both a tad bit too tall for the likes of Harry's own clothing - at least the nice pieces of clothing that he owned. As for Dudley's old hand-me-downs? He could very well give his dad and Godfather that rubbish! He  _refused_.

"I'll see if Ron has anything that you could borrow."

Harry then cast a tempus charm and was surprised to see that it was already seven in the morning. He had dropped Ginny off at Gryffindor tower around two in the morning, and he supposed that his argument with Dumbledore, the trip into the pensieve, and the actual steps of resurrecting his family had taken longer than he thought.

He supposed that since Ron had left the ball early last night, that he would have had plenty of time to sleep his fill.

"I'll be right back." Harry informed them, as he pocketed the Resurrection Stone that he just realized was still in his hand. Then he bent over to pick up his fallen invisibility cloak on the floor. Harry straightened and eyed the three of them, a mischievous gleam in his gaze. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, dad… Sirius…"

"Brat." His dad retorted, but he said it with a laugh as Sirius playfully pushed a grinning Harry towards the door.

His mum broke away from his dad's grasp and came up to kiss Harry's temple. When she pulled away, there was a twinkle of amusement in her green eyes. "I'll keep an eye on them, sweetheart."

Harry leaned forward to plant a kiss on his mother's cheek. He couldn't help it. The affectionate feelings that he felt for her just came so naturally. Harry then turned and walked out of the office and down the spiral stairs. As he walked the halls towards Gryffindor Tower, he couldn't help but feel self-conscious as people stared at him from the simple fact that he was still dressed in his dress robes the morning after the ball. And he was reminded that perhaps, he needed to change his clothing for the day, as well.

…...

Harry burst into his dorm, his entire body vibrating with a flurry of excitement. As he had climbed up the stairs to Gryffindor tower, he had once again been reminded that his parents were well and truly back from the dead!

He, Harry Potter, had successfully resurrected his family!

The thought caused him to grin like a bloody loon but he found that he didn't care. He damn well had the right to be proud of the fact that he had accomplished what he had set out to achieve. Somehow, he had successfully convinced Dumbledore to help him resurrect his parents and his Godfather, a feat that he had thought would be impossible.

Shaking his head to rid himself of his abnormal occurrence of a large ego, Harry turned to his trunk at the end of his bed. He opened it and stuck the - now unneeded - Resurrection Stone into a shimmering bag and put it at the very bottom of his trunk. He then picked out his clothes that he was going to wear for the day.

After he was dressed, Harry turned towards Ron's bed. The curtains were closed, but Harry was certain that his best mate would want to hear all about what had happened last night, and would actually be quite peeved with Harry if he didn't wake him to tell him everything.

So, without another thought on the matter, Harry strode forward and whipped Ron's bed curtains apart.

" _What the BLOODY MERLIN?!_ " Harry exclaimed.

Ron's eyes shot open, startled out of sleep.

But his eyes weren't the  _only_ ones to suddenly wake from sleep…  _oh no_.

There was also Hermione's eyes that opened in shock, only to quickly change to horror as she saw Harry standing there, gaping at the pair of them.

It was quite clear to Harry what he had unwittingly stumbled into. He could tell by the twin pairs of bare shoulders that peaked out from beneath the blankets that the two of them were  _naked_ underneath those sheets…! It was also  _quite clear_  to Harry what  _exactly_ they had been up to.

He just didn't want to think about it...

"Whattsa matter, Harry?" Neville called sleepily from the opposite end of the dorm room. At the sound of his voice, Ron and Hermione's expressions became even more panicked, if that were even possible.

Harry knew that the two of them didn't want to be caught. Especially Hermione, in the current state that she was in. Neville may be trustworthy. But if Seamus or Dean caught her…? All of Hogwarts would know about this before the day was up.

He thought quick on his feet. "N-Nothing, Nev. I just thought that I saw a rat, is all."

Harry didn't wait for a response afterwards from Neville. Instead, he jumped to the bottom of Ron's bed and shut the bed curtains once again, before whispering a silencing and sticking charm.

He was now quite over his shock. And Harry found that the part of him that was protective of Hermione, as though he were her real brother, came rearing its ugly head.

"You better damn well explain, Ron. And you better explain good." Harry managed to get out through his clenched jaw, his voice sounding quite terse.

Ron swallowed heavily, and brought the sheets up even more to the point that it was up to his chin…

"Harry…" Hermione sighed, as she intervened. "It-It's alright."

Harry shot a speculative glance over at Hermione before he turned his gaze back to Ron. "Well?"

Ron bit his lip, worrying it a bit, before he released it and sat upright, seeming to brace himself to face the music. He looked straight into Harry's eyes, his gaze wide with sincerity. "We love each other, Harry."

Harry staggered back slightly. He didn't know what he had been expecting to hear, but it certainly wasn't  _that!_

Ron wrapped his arm around Hermione, and Harry watched as she seemed to melt into his side…

She looked happy. They  _both_ looked happy.

A part of the tension in his shoulders left him, but he found that his guard was still up. "You didn't, uh,  _pressure her_  or anything, did you?"

Ron's eyes widened in horror at the implication, and he whipped his head to Hermione for confirmation that this wasn't actually the case.

When they met eyes, Hermione actually burst into laughter.

She was laughing so hard, that her head slipped a bit and her face was now pressed into Ron's side. Both Harry and Ron looked at her as though she were mad.

"Oh, Harry… If there was any pressuring going on, it was probably from my end!" Hermione managed to get out from between gasps of air and fits of giggles. "I practically pushed Ron into bed!"

Ron relaxed at this insight and actually let out a chuckle of his own. "Trust me. I wasn't pressured at all!"

He squeezed Hermione closer to him while his one hand came up to tickle at her side. Hermione let out a squeal of delight and she tried to squirm to get away from his wandering hand.

It was a side of Hermione he had never seen before...

Harry cleared his throat, reminding the both of them that he was still there. They both stopped immediately, and Hermione looked back at him with a considerable blush on her cheeks at having been witnessed in such a state. But Ron wasn't bothered at all, and merely settled back into the pillow, dragging Hermione so that she was pressed against his side once again.

But Harry couldn't help but relax in relief as it was now confirmed to him that this was something that they had both wanted. He grinned widely at the two of them, and couldn't help but say, "Well, it's about damn time, isn't it?"

The three of them laughed at that, and Harry could tell that the two of them were more relaxed after they realized that Harry was actually happy for them.

"So, how did this happen?" Harry asked with an easy grin.

Ron and Hermione shared a glance, before Hermione was the one who spoke up. "It was after you left with Slughorn. I saw Ron sitting alone, because Susan Bones had abandoned him, and I sat down next to him. We talked for a bit of time before we decided to go dance together. And it was while we were dancing, Ron leaned down and kissed me."

Hermione blushed as she retold the tale, but there was a distinct smile that graced her lips… shy but overwhelmingly satisfied.

Harry snickered slightly, and jabbed Ron's foot with his own. "Finally found your Gryffindor courage when it comes to 'Mione, huh, mate?"

Ron rolled his eyes and kicked him as Harry laughed.

"We left the ball right after that," Ron continued to explain where Hermione let off. "We came up here to talk things through and, uh, well… I'm sure you can guess the rest."

Harry tried not to think about the 'rest' that Ron was referring to. In this case, it was best to remain ignorant of the details surrounding  _that_ part of his best friends' newfound relationship.

"Well, I'm happy for you." Harry stated, sounding sincere.

Hermione bit her lip. "Well, I'm glad that you're happy for us, Harry, but… there's the matter of Ron and I, uh, needing clothes…"

Harry's face flushed as he suddenly realized how much he was intruding at the moment. But he knew how to make up for it by leaning forward slightly so he could reach into his back pocket.

"Here," He extracted his invisibility cloak and threw it towards Hermione. "So you don't get caught."

At the sight of the cloak, Hermione looked very relieved. "Thanks, Harry."

Harry let out a sort of half-grunt in response, before he was suddenly reminded why he had opened Ron's bed curtains in the first place. "Speaking of needing clothes…" Harry said, "I need to borrow some from you, Ron."

"Why do you need to borrow clothes?" Ron's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Harry started scrambling on the mattress, making his way towards the curtains to give them privacy.

Harry couldn't help but smirk at the question, and before he left the privacy of the silencing spell surrounding the bed, Harry turned back and said, "Oh, well, it's just the little matter of how I resurrected my parents and Godfather last night, and my dad and Sirius need some clothes to wear…"

Harry shrugged, and pretended as though what he said was no big deal.

" _WHAT?!_ " The both chorused in shock. But Harry didn't give them time to ask questions, nor did he elaborate. Instead, he merely laughed as he left the security of Ron's bed.

….

Remus Lupin was drinking a spot of tea by the window in his shabby little living room, enjoying a good book.

It was peaceful moments like these that Remus lived for, nowadays. He had known many hardships throughout his life…

Getting bit by Fenrir Greyback as a child that began the plague upon his life… The moon cycles that haunted his days, each month a countdown until his next transformation.

His friends... first James, then Sirius - twice - gone forever… He was well and truly the last marauder. Wormtail, wherever it was that vile creature roamed, didn't count as a marauder.

' _But, perhaps Harry counts as one…_ ' Remus mused.

It wasn't the first time that day where Harry had crossed Remus' thoughts. In fact, Remus had been thinking about the certain 'Chosen One' a lot lately…

Harry had yet to write him back from the letter Remus had sent him earlier in the week. But Remus supposed that Harry was too busy to write him back right away. Remus didn't mind. In fact, Remus understood perfectly because he had his own troubles to deal with at the moment.

Trouble masquerading as a certain metamorphmagus with pink hair…

Remus shook his head of the thought… Dora was another that kept creeping into his thoughts, both day and night.

' _You're supposed to be relaxing…'_  Remus thought with a sigh as he doubled his efforts on focusing on the letters on the page in front of his nose.

But fate had a different idea in mind…

With a burst of flame, a phoenix suddenly appeared in front of him, startling the unsuspecting werewolf. A hand went to his chest, trying to slow down his heartbeat as he eyed the bird in front of him.

"Fawkes?" It  _was_ Albus' familiar… Remus recognized the markings on the phoenix.

All that he got in response was an echoing caw as Fawkes held out his taloned claw - tied to it was a letter addressed to him.

Remus reached out and carefully untied the letter, supposing that Albus was just sending him an update on Order business.

.

_Remus,_

_You are urgently needed at Hogwarts immediately._

_._

The letter wasn't signed, but Remus didn't stop to think about insignificant details such as that. All that he could think of was…

" _Harry._ " Remus breathed, panic starting to settle within the pit of his stomach. There had to be some sort of trouble surrounding Harry!

He stood and looked all around him, wildly. He hadn't the time to apparate outside of the Hogwarts walls and walk the grounds until he reached Albus' office. He needed to get there now!

He looked to the phoenix before him, and it all clicked into place. "Fawkes! Take me to Dumbledore's office!"

Fawkes trilled and chirp, which Remus took as agreement, and he reached out to grab hold of a feather on his wing.

Fire blazed all around him, but it did not burn.

When the flames receded, Remus found himself in the familiar layout of the Headmaster's office. He was slightly disoriented from the trip, but that didn't stop him. He was a man on a mission.

"HARRY?!" He called out, wildly.

" _Moony…_ " A voice breathed from behind him.

Remus turned on the spot, and-

Everything became still.

…

Ginny tilted her head as she gazed at herself in the mirror, debating with herself as she tried to make a decision on what to do to solve this problem.

Dark markings were strategically littered across her alabaster skin… the small bruises were on her neck, her collarbone, her shoulder…

" _Hickeys…_ " Ginny muttered as she pressed a finger to one of the marks, watching it turn white under the pressure. "He  _had_ to go and give me hickeys…"

Ginny really tried to be more annoyed, but she found that she just couldn't be. These hickeys were a result of act that Ginny had quite enjoyed.

Ginny bit her lip and fidgeted as she thought back on their time together in the abandoned alcove… It had been so spontaneous. So passionate.

What in  _Merlin's name_  had come over her?  _Honestly…_

The way that she had unabashedly wrapped her legs around Harry's waist… she flushed as she recalled the feeling of his hardness pressed up against her inner thigh.

But then, she had to go and  _ruin it_  by asking him to come up to her room…?! What had she been  _thinking?_

But at the time, it had felt right to ask him to come to her room… She hadn't intended to do more with him than to just snog a tad bit more in a place where they could be comfortable. But maybe Harry had gotten the wrong idea of what she was implying, and that was the reason why he said no…?

' _Don't be ridiculous…'_  Ginny scolded herself. ' _He told you that he had already made plans with Dumbledore.'_

Besides… He did ask for a raincheck...

The thought made Ginny grin as she turned towards her bedpost where her scarlett Gryffindor scarf was hanging. She grabbed it and turned towards the mirror once again, and made sure that she securely twisted the scarf around her neck.

"There," She stated proudly as the fabric covered all of the love bites. "Now no one will know."

"No one will know what?" A familiar voice asked from behind her.

Ginny squeaked as she turned abruptly on the spot.

" _Harry!_ " Ginny exclaimed, her hand coming up to clutch at her heart. Harry was outside of opened window, hovering on his firebolt.

"You  _scared_ me…!" She gasped, her tone accusatory. He was honestly lucky that none of her dorm mates came back last night.

The git actually had the gall to laugh as he flew in through the window and landed his broom. "Sorry, Gin."

He didn't sound sorry at all.

He dismounted from his broom, and walked closer to her. As he came closer, Ginny watched him carefully, studying his mood. And she was both surprised and glad to see that he in a good mood. In fact, he was actually  _radiating_ with happiness.

When he got close enough, Harry easily wrapped his arms around her and he didn't ask before he leaned down to press his lips to hers. It made Ginny grin at the thought that they were well and truly comfortable with one another to do that.

The kiss was short, more of a way of greeting than anything. Harry pulled back and looked down into her eyes, a soft smile on his lips. "Hi."

Her lips twitched. "Hi."

His eyes turned mischievous as they roamed her face, before he asked again, "No one will know what?"

For a moment, she looked at him, confused. Before she suddenly remembered what it was he was referring to, and her gaze quickly became accusatory. "Oh  _nothing…_ just the simple fact that I have to wear this scarf because  _someone_ decided that it was a good idea to plant hickeys on my skin…"

Harry's eyes widened and he actually choked on a strangled noise that erupted from his throat. The sound was so priceless, along with the look on his face, that Ginny couldn't help but laugh as she dropped her act.

It took a moment longer for Harry to register what she had just told him, and she watched as his expression turned from bewildered to interested.

" _Really…?_ " His voice became heavy as he drawled out the vowels of the single word. It sounded so heady that Ginny found that she almost lost her breath. She could only nod.

His eyes flicked down to the scarf that covered her marred skin, his eyes ablaze with curiosity.

Without conscious thought, Ginny tilted her head to the side, giving his eyes more room to roam. And in a bold move that Ginny didn't expect, Harry reached up and started to undo the loose knot of fabric, before he pulled the scarf away from her skin entirely.

His eyes drank in the marks on her skin, his face showing unadulterated satisfaction. Ginny had never felt more desired in her life.

A loud thump resounded from the hall outside of her dorm room door, startling them out of the trance.

They waited silently to see if whoever made the noise was planning to enter the room or not, and after a tense moment where nothing happened, they both relaxed.

Harry sighed in relief as his whipped a hand through his wind-swept hair. He looked back to her, and bit his lip… before his hand left his hair to cover the skin on her neck. His thumb traced the bruises softly.

Ginny imagined that this is what butterfly kisses would feel like.

"I would apologize…" Harry said as he traced the love bite on her neck. "But I'm not sorry at all."

Ginny couldn't help but snicker at this revelation, and it made her warm up to the hickeys all the more.

"In fact," Harry said as he leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on the one on her collarbone. "I quite like them."

Ginny sucked in a breath, but Harry didn't linger for long. With a regretful sigh, he pulled away and looked down at her. "I wish that I could explore these more, but I promised to tell you everything from last night… and I also have a favour to ask you."

It took a moment for Ginny to find her bearings, before she cleared her throat and looked up at him expectantly. "O-Of course. What do you need?"

Harry bit his lip slightly before he released it. "I need to borrow some of your clothes."

.

.

.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter Forty-One

.

.

.

Thinking back on it now, James supposed that what he had done had been a tad bit irresponsible. He really should have waited… Until they had wands to protect themselves, or to have Harry there with them to try to appease and explain everything.

But like any other time James had found himself in a pickle, it was almost always because he was just too spontaneous in his actions.

Yeah…  _spontaneous_ was a good word to describe himself.

"Now, Moony…" James spoke in a calm tone, his hands held up in the air to show that he was actually unarmed and harmless. Well,  _actually_ , as harmless as the daring  _James Potter_  could be... "Why don't we just talk things through? You can put your wand away, and I can win you over with my one-of-a-kind personality. What do you say?"

" _SHUT UP!_  Just  _SHUT_  your  _FUCKING MOUTH, imposter!_ "

James winced at the word…  _Imposter_. It really seemed like a filthy word coming from Remus' mouth when directed at them. Almost as though he were trying to curse them through words, but just without the magic…

' _Though… the magic part just might be making its appearance soon…_ ' James couldn't help but think as he eyed the wand clenched tight in Remus' fist that was directed right at them. Remus almost looked unhinged. Far from his normally well put-together self. In fact, James would gander to bet that dear old Moony had a glint that reminded James of his alter ego.

James frowned once again at the wand, before his eyes flitted up to his friend's face. Well, how about that? He's even practically foaming at the mouth just like he does on nights with a full moon!

Remus and his werewolf counterart have never looked more similar.

It would be funny if the situation wasn't so dire… with the wand pointed right at his forehead…

 _Yeah_ , he really should have waited for Harry before he contacted Remus. But it was as he thought before! He was  _spontaneous_! And, he missed his friend… So, while his Lily Love and Padfoot were distracted by a little spat they were having, James had seen Fawkes sitting on his perch and… he acted as soon as the idea came to him.

But now, as a result of his action, he, Sirius, and his Lily Love had an angry werewolf standing menacingly before them, with his wand aimed at the ready…

"Remus,  _please!_ " Lily begged to their long, lost friend. "We're  _not_ imposters! Harry, he-"

" _DON'T_  you  _fucking DARE_  say his name!" Remus growled, as he took yet another menacing step towards them. At the movement, James shifted slightly so that he stood in-between his Lily Love and Remus' wand. No matter the cost, his wife was going to make it out of this encounter alive. He had failed to protect her the one time it actually mattered… and his failure had made their son an orphan. James was interrupted from his thoughts when Remus jabbed his wand more instantly at them as he continued his threat towards them. " _His_  name is  _too good_ to pass through the  _filth_ of your lips!"

" _Moony_ , we can prove it to you…" Sirius said quietly, his eyes were imploring as he stared at one of the few confidants he had after he escaped Azkaban.

Remus chuckled darkly, "Oh, I would  _love_ to see you try. Anything you tell me will be a trick. But it won't work. I knew my friends better than anyone."

"But we  _can_ prove it!" James argued passionately, hope sparking in his chest now the Sirius brought forth the plan for them to prove their identities. "Just give us a chance, Remus!"

As he spoke, Remus took his attention off of Padfoot and turned to look James squarely in the eye.

"Alright…" He said, darkly amused at the unarmed 'death eaters' attempt to talk their way out of a corner. "Tell me some things that only  _James Potter_  would know."

James opened his mouth to reply…. Before he froze, unsure of what it was that he was going to say. He closed his mouth and thought, lifting a hand to scratch at his chin…

At the movement of James' hand, Remus' wand arm flinched ever so slightly.

"Er… Well…  _OH!_  While in Hogwarts we tried to teach the giant squid sign language!" James flashed Moony a winning, beaming smile. There was  _no way_  Remus could deny their identities now!

But Remus wasn't jumping for joy as he realized they were well and truly there, and celebrate how  _bloody brilliant_  they were to resurrect from the dead...

"Wormtail was there for that, too." Remus said dryly. "He could have told any number of Death Eaters that."

James' smile melted from his face, as deep disappointment found him. "Oh."

But salvation found them as Sirius jumped in. "There was that time where we swapped out the Slytherin Qudditch team's broomsticks with muggle brooms right before the match! Wormtail wasn't there for that!"

Though he would never do so out loud, internally, James was praising Sirius for his genius!

But the praise was cut short as they heard Moony scoff. "Yeah, but the  _real_  Sirius had told him all about it afterwards. He liked to brag about his pranks to Wormtail because he liked the hero-worship."

Well, shit… this was going to be a lot tougher than he originally thought…

…

Harry watched her face turned into a mixture of confusion and surprise as his bizarre question made purchase with her. Merlin, was she gorgeous. The love bites on her neck and collarbone made her skin all the more enticing… After he had been reminded of how he and Ginny had spent their night in the alcove the night before, he found it difficult to concentrate on much else besides her creamy skin… her pouty lips… Even the pucker of confusion in her brow was the most adorable thing Harry had ever seen!

He knew that he was being quite cheeky, but he couldn't help it! His parents and Sirius were alive! And he wanted more than anything to be able to celebrate it with Ginny by his side!

Harry suppressed a grin as she worked out his request.

"M-My clothes? Why?" Harry could honestly tell if she were trying to figure out if he had gone mad.

Harry's full-blown grin spread across his face as he suppressed an exuberant laugh. Yeah… he was a cheeky bastard at the moment…

"Yeah," Harry said, before he licked his lips. "Maybe an old sweater that you would be okay to part with? You seem to be the same size as my mum, and-"

Harry cut of as her eyes widened measurably.

 _Fuck_ , her light brown eyes had flecks of gold in them? How had he not noticed that before? They were  _stunning_ …

"Y-Your  _mum…_?!"

Harry started as he was brought back to reality, before he grinned widely at her. "I suppose I should explain, shouldn't I?"

Her eager nod demanded nothing less from him.

….

Fifteen minutes later, they were still going at it.

James and Sirius now had their heads together, brainstorming through memories of their adolescence together.

"Can't you two think of  _something_  where Wormtail wasn't there to see it or hear about it later?!" His Lily Love exclaimed, getting that agitated twitch in her left eyebrow that James always found adorable.

James whipped his attention towards Lily and exclaimed, " _Lily Love!_  Don't yell at the  _werewolf_ threatening our lives!"

"I'm not yelling at the  _werewolf_! I'm yelling at  _you_ idiotic prats!"

"I thought that we got rid of the name calling in our seventh year, Lils." James quipped, not even showing an ounce that the insult actually offended him.

" _What about the time_  when James and I convinced you to let a house elf apparate you into the Slytherin girl's dorm rooms to steal  _all sorts_  of knickers?!" Sirius demanded, his voice getting terse and slightly desperate. His time in Azkaban starting to shine through again, as he showed a glimpse of slight madness.

Lily scoffed at the tale of one of their old hijinks, and James got a whap on the back of his shoulder for it.

Remus' cheeks coloured slightly. "Wormtail was there when the house elf apparated me back, and-"

" _Shite!"_  Sirius cursed, running a frustrated hand through his long, black hair. "That beady eyed  _stalker_ was there for  _everything!_ "

Suddenly, it hit James. There was one secret that Moony had told James in their seventh year that they hadn't told anyone. Not even Sirius, and  _especially_ not Wormtail.

"I've thought of something…" James said, quietly, looking into Remus' eyes with an apology in his own.

"Well?" Remus snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"This is something that you confided in me in our seventh year. Not even Sirius knows."

Remus' eyebrows raised at that, and despite himself, curiosity overcame him.

Knowing that he had Moony's attention, James took a deep breath.

"You told me that you had a crush on Marlene McKinnon."

Remus' jaw dropped.

" _WHAT?!_ " Lily gasped from behind him, her voice justifiably shocked.

James waited for a single beat of a moment, before he turned to look at Sirius' face…

Sirius' eyes looked as though they were about to pop out of his head from how wide they were and his face was a deep red colour that was quickly turning to purple...

" _My_  Marlene?!" Sirius suddenly exclaimed, indignant.

"I never told Sirius because you made me promise not to tell…" James whispered as he looked back to Remus' wide eyes. "Because we both knew how Sirius felt about her, which was something that he never felt about any other girl before..."

They were quiet as James trailed off… and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the colour drain from Sirius' face...

" _Or since…_ " Sirius whispered, looking depressed and regretful as he remembered the past.

They hadn't seen Marlene in death. She didn't dwell in the same place they had… James, Lily, and Sirius had dwelled in the place where spirits still had unresolved business. When Sirius had died, he had searched all over for Marlene, hoping to be reunited with her for the first time since her death by Death Eaters on an Order mission… but he never found her.

He had always blamed himself for her death. He'd never gotten over it. James didn't think that he ever would.

Sirius rubbed at his eye with the palm of his hand, and gave a large sniff before he looked up at Remus. "So, you really had a crush on her?"

Moony nodded, seeming shell-shocked by the sudden turn of events.

Sirius stared at Remus for a while before he chuckled. "Hell, I can't blame yah. She really was  _something…_ "

Sirius trailed off as he stared at nothing, remembering the past.

But the quiet didn't seem to do any good in keeping Remus in their good graces… With a shake of his head, and a sudden growl, Remus lunged forward and grabbed James by the shoulder…

" _James!_ " Lily cried as James was harshly pulled away from her until he was face to face to the scowl of one of his best mates…

Remus' wand jabbed into the side of the James' neck, and James winced as the end of the wood poked uncomfortably at his lymph node.

"What was it that you said when you revealed to me that you found out my little secret?" Remus' tone was harsher than ever, getting more desperate sounding and far from the dark amusement he had at the start of all of this...

Despite himself, 'James' actually relaxed and smiled with a bit of a chuckle.

"We didn't much say anything…"

Remus frowned even more and jabbed his wand even further into his neck.

"...we actually sang."

Remus froze. Staring down at James in disbelief for a brief moment, before he backed away slowly… his wand still drawn and pointed, and a suspicious look still on his face.

"Show me." He demanded.

Without even missing a beat, and without an ounce of shame, James broke out into song…

"Bl _ue_  M _oooooonn_ …" James belted out, the words seeming to be coming straight from his gut.

Behind him, Sirius started howl in tune with the jazzy number. The howl was reminiscent of a wolf howling at the moon...

"You saw me standing al _ooooone_ …"

"Owww… Owww… Owwooooooo!"

"Without a dream in my h _eaaaaart_ …"

Dark laughter cut him off mid-note...

"Nice try,  _imposters_ ," Remus laughed, looking even more dangerous than he had ever been… even when he was a werewolf. "It's true, that my dear,  _lost_ friends did sing a song when they were trying to tell me they knew I am a werewolf. But that wasn't the song they sang… it was actually a rendition of 'Moon River'..."

The situation slowly crept up onto James as he realized that such a simple mistake could cost them their lives… His heart fell into his stomach as he lost his breath.

Did Moony honestly expect them to remember every single detail of their childhoods together?!

Remus lifted his wand, a glower on his lips and brow, and started the wand movement that was bound to be a complex, dangerous spell that would surely harm them, in the least…

Well… their second life was nice while it lasted...

But then the door burst open, and in walked Harry, Ginny tucked into his side and a huge grin on his lips…

A grin that died as soon as he registered the situation before him…

His Lily Love let out a cry of relief as she noticed their son's appearance, while James and Sirius let out audible breaths that they had been holding.

James hadn't even noticed that he had been bracing for the impact of the spell.

"R- _Remus?!_ " Harry exclaimed, dropping his arm from around Ginny in his shock. But Ginny hardly seemed to pay any notice, as she too was gaping at the situation before them. "What are you doing?! When did you get here?!"

" _Harry!_ " Remus cried, his face growing panicked by Harry's appearance. "Get away from here!  _They're imposters!_ "

Realizing the situation and the misunderstanding, Harry adamantly shook his head. "No… they're not."

"Don't be  _fooled, Harry!_  They-"

"We've been trying to convince him that we are who we say we are…!" James said to his son, finally letting the hint of frustration he felt seep into his voice. "But the stubborn  _git_ won't believe us."

Remus' head whipped in James' direction, and lifted his wand again in a menacing manner.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Harry cried out, as he quickly leapt in between them and Remus' wand. His son's voice hinging on desperation and a hint of fury.

"Step aside, Harry!" Remus demanded, his entire demeanour vengeful.

Harry crossed his arms as he glared at his honorary uncle. "Like  _bloody_ _ **hell**_  I will! You know how  _difficult_ it was to find a way to resurrect them! I won't let you take them away from me again!"

Remus stared at him in shock for a brief moment, before he shook his head and looked imploringly into Harry's eyes. "Harry, you must have been confunded somehow-"

Beside him, Sirius scoffed. "See? He has an answer for everything!"

It was true. They could honestly go in circles like this for  _forever…!_

Uncrossing his arms, Harry thought a moment. And Ginny took this time to silently make her way back to Harry's side, standing with him between a wand and his family. Harry smiled briefly at her as he lifted his arm to encircle her waist. Before he continued thinking, deep in thought.

Then, Harry brightened before he turned his attention back to Remus. "Moony… Would you agree with me when I say that Animagus forms can't be copied, even with polyjuice potion users?"

Moony nodded. "Of course. That is common knowledge."

Grinning slightly, once again, Harry turned to James and Sirius. "Well, come on, then. Let's see Padfoot and Prongs!"

Both James and Sirius froze. Of course… Why hadn't they thought of it before?!

Lily was right… They  _were_ idiotic prats…

A smile graced both of their lips before they wasted no more time…

They transformed.

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	42. Chapter 42

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Chapter Forty-Two

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Ginny clutched to Harry's arm as they faced Remus Lupin's wand.  _Together_. As it should always be.

She had never seen Professor Lupin look so…  _dangerous._ Sure, she knew that he was a werewolf, but she had only ever seen the man as docile and calm. It was as though he were a completely different person before them as he yelled at Harry to move out of the way.

But she knew that Harry wasn't going to go anywhere. He would die for his family, if need be. And Ginny would be right there next to him, standing off against any threat that desired to take Harry away from her.

But she honestly wasn't worried to  _that_ degree. Harry seemed calm enough in the given situation, he had even smiled at her when she came to join his side. And as a result, he automatically placated her fears.

When Harry had announced that 'Padfoot and Prongs' should make an appearance, Ginny had been genuinely confused…

Who exactly were Padfoot and Prongs and how would they prove the Potters' identities?

But Harry must have seen the confusion on her face, because he smiled slightly before he turned them to look at his dad and Sirius just as their bodies started to shiver in transformation…

Ginny watched in awe as a magnificent stag and a familiar large, black dog took the place of one James Potter and Sirius Black.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lily Potter's shoulders sag in relief as soon as they transformed.

A sudden resounding clatter echoed in the room from behind them. Ginny turned her attention back to Lupin and saw him gaping at the two animagi creatures in genuine shock, his wand arm still extended but his hand now empty… Ginny's eyes shifted to the floor and saw that he had dropped the wand due to his paralyzed shock.

"J-James?" Professor Lupin stuttered, "S- _Sirius?_ "

Without waiting for confirmation from anyone, Professor Lupin fell forward to his knees. His face showed that he was trying to find the source to all sense and meaning once again… before a look of deep remorse and guilt overcame the entire demeanor of his body.

Heaving breaths came from Lupin's chest as he stared at the two creatures before him. Everyone was still as silent as they watched the man before them wallowed in guilt over almost killing his own friends into yet  _another_  early grave...

They were all silent for a long moment, waiting in bated breath for the first person to make any sort of movement or noise… Before the stag started to trot forward with purpose, and Harry's hand on Ginny's waist guided her out of the way. When she looked over at her boyfriend, she saw the beaming smile that he had on his face as he watched the coming exchange. Ginny felt her heart swell at the sight. Finally, Harry was getting all that he deserved in life… after all of the trials and tribulations he had to face throughout his childhood.

She turned her attention back to the stag - James - and watched as he walked straight up to Professor Lupin.

Lupin looked up at the stag with brimming tears starting to streak down his face. "I'm so  _sorry_ , I… I didn't know, I-"

He was quieted as the stag bowed his head forward, and pressed his forehead to Lupin's, his impressive antlers surrounding Lupin's head.

They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, before Remus Lupin's remorseful face cracked and he let out a choking sob. " _Oh, Prongs!"_

Remus threw his arms up and around the thick neck of the stag before him, clutching tight as he sobbed into the reddish hair on the mane of his neck.

At the scene before her, Ginny felt her own tears leak out of her eyes as she watched with a smile. And out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Harry was much in the same state.

But the sudden interruption of the black dog bounding up to lick the side of Remus' face separated the hug, and they all let out a laugh through their tears as Remus turned to glare at the black dog.

" _SIRIUS?!"_  Remus exclaimed, as he wiped the slobber off of his cheek with the sleeve of his shirt.

But Padfoot didn't look remorseful at all… instead he bowed his front paws forward, his bum and wagging tail high in the air.

At the sight of the playful position of complacency, Remus softened and turned from Prongs to open his arms wide to Padfoot.

Padfoot let out a yelping bark of glee before he bounded forward and tackled Remus to the floor. Remus let out joyous laughter as Sirius' wet nose sniffled at his hair and face.

They were all laughing outright at the scene. But their laughter doubled as Prongs trotted forward and stepped his front hoofs over the pair on the floor, before he plopped down and lay over the top of them.

" _PRONGS?!"_  Remus gasped as the air was sucked out of his lungs.

But Prongs didn't move. Instead, he bowed his head forward as though he intended to go to sleep… he closed his eyes and let out a noise that resembled a snore.

It was then that Harry released his grasp around her waist, and before Ginny even had a chance to look at him curiously, he raced forward to tackle the large form of his father.

All the three below him let out indignant noises at the added weight, but Harry just laughed in absolute childish glee, his hands going up to clutch at the antlers in an attempt to hang on and keep upright.

But Prongs twisted out from beneath him and tackled Harry to the ground besides Remus and Sirius.

That was when the four-way wrestling match started. And Ginny had to admit, that it wasn't looking good for Harry, as the three adult men formed an unspoken alliance and ganged up on him.

Ginny looked over at Harry's mum, right at the exact moment that Lily turned to look at her. And they both rolled their eyes at one another as if to say, " _Boys…"_

They stopped once their wrestling got too rough and Harry's glasses fell off of his face and broke in a clatter on the floor.

" _Oh for Merlin's sake!"_  Lily cried out as she stormed forward to help her son up. She then proceeded to brush the rumples and imaginary dust from Harry's clothes before she clutched him to her and kissed his face a dozen or so times.

Harry looked about to protest as his eyes peaked over at Ginny in embarrassment at the way his mum coddled him. But he stopped himself mid-complaint and just drooped back into his mother's arms and let her have her motherly moment with him.

Ginny tried not to snicker at Harry's embarrassment, because she knew that he secretly craved this exact motherly treatment… even if he didn't want to admit it out loud. Instead, she distracted herself by stepping forward to pick up Harry's broken glasses off of the floor.

In their twisted heap on the floor, James and Sirius transformed from their animagi forms to their human forms. They each stood and helped Remus off of the floor before pulling him into a tight hug with manly pats on the back and wide grins on their faces.

Ginny smiled at the sight before she focused her attention on Harry's broken glasses in her hand. Taking out her wand from the knot in her hair, she cast a quick spell to mend the broken glass and the bent frames.

Looking up after the damage repaired itself, Ginny saw that Harry was still encased in Lily's arms, and they were both laughing privately over insequential things as Lily ran a motherly hand through his hair, trying to fix the impossible mop on his head.

"I'm  _telling_ you," Harry laughed as his mum fussed, "You can't tame this beast! Only Sleekeazy's Hair Potion has been able to manage it."

Lily sighed and managed to give up, though she didn't look too heartbroken over the fact. " _Just_  like your father's…"

Ginny hated to interrupt such a moment, but it was at that time where Harry peaked over at her and saw her hovering off on the side, fiddling with the red Gryffindor scarf around her neck. His eyes lit up as their gazes locked, and Ginny felt herself melt at the genuine excitement that came to his face whenever he saw that she was in the same room as him.

" _Ginny_ ," Harry called, his free hand waving her over while the other helped to move his mum so that only his one arm was guiding her around the waist to face his girlfriend.

Ginny smiled shyly as she walked forward with only a slight amount of hesitance. Sure, she had met Harry's parents before through the Resurrection Stone, but this felt different somehow. Almost as though she were meeting the famous couple for the  _very first time_ … and she felt a slight irrational fear at wondering whether they would like and approve of her or not.

When she got close enough, Harry let go of his mum and went to stand by Ginny, and pulled her close to him by wrapping his arm around her waist. Ginny flushed at the obvious display of affection as well as the feeling of heat she got from where her clothed skin met his.

"Here," She said, offering his now-mended glasses over to him. "I fixed them for you."

Harry grinned widely as he took them from her and put the spectacles back onto his face. "Thanks, Gin."

Harry then leant sideways to press a lingering kiss on the side of her head before he turned to face his mum.

Ginny turned her head as well and audibly gasped at the sight before her…

" _Oh!_  Mrs. Potter…" Ginny breathed in a gasp as she stared with wide eyes. "I had heard people say, but… You have Harry's eyes.  _I mean_ , Harry has  _your_ eyes." Ginny flushed as she tumbled through the words.  _Merlin_ , why was she so nervous?!

Harry smirked and leaned sideways to whisper in Ginny's ear, " _Eyes as green as a fresh pickled_

_toad…"_

Harry immediately got a hand slapping into his chest... from both his mum and Ginny. But Lily hit him in a lighthearted manner when compared to Ginny's, according to the smile on his mum's lips…

Until Ginny realized with a start that Lily Potter was looking directly at  _her_ with that smile.

" _Ginny…_ " Lily stated happily as she walked forward to engulf her into a tight embrace. Ginny almost choked at how unexpected - yet  _right_  - it felt being hugged by that woman before her. In the background, Ginny could hear James and Sirius laugh boisterously at their own conversation that they were having with Remus… but she didn't pay them much attention at the moment. Instead she reveled in the fact that the mum of the boy she loved seemed to really like her.

When Lily released her, she only backed away far enough to be able to get a good look at Ginny's face. "I missed you." Lily admitted easily with a small smile. "I kept bugging Harry about having you touch the Resurrection Stone more often so that we could have a chat."

Ginny's eyebrows rose in surprise, and she peaked over at her sheepish boyfriend for a moment before she turned her attention back to his mother. "Really?"

Lily nodded, serious, but smiling, at the same time. "Let me tell you, Ginny. I love my son and my husband… and sure,  _even_  Sirius," She winked humorously at Harry at that one and he chuckled in response, "But I've been longing for a conversation with another woman for such a  _long time!_ And from what I've been able to observe of you from over the years, you are quite enjoyable to talk to. A fact that went over the  _thick head_  of my  _son_ , here, for  _far_ too long!"

Lily sent a stern glare over at the boy in question, and Ginny heard Harry gulp heavily next to her and… Ginny couldn't help it. She burst out laughing!

What had she been so worried about? Lily Potter was  _amazing…_ and, apparently, has been rooting for Ginny for  _years!_

Just looking over at Harry, she could tell that he was about to reply defensively.

But he never got the chance.

Because in that moment, Ron and Hermione burst through the door from the stairwell, both looking unkempt… Hermione's hair, especially, looked even more unruly than usual.

Everyone stopped talking as soon as the door slammed open, and turned to look at the shocked faces of her brother and one of her best mates.

" _It's true…_ " Hermione whispered as her eyes took in the three people in the room who had been previously dead the day before…

" _He did it…_ " Ron gasped with disbelief dripping from his tone.

…..

"We  _have_ to make plans." Lily stated firmly, and she looked over at Sirius, daring him to argue. He wisely kept his mouth shut.

Ginny couldn't help but smirk at how easily Lily Potter was able to put Sirius Black into his place.

Once Ron and Hermione had gotten over their shock, Hermione had burst into seemingly endless rounds of questioning. Not that Ginny minded, seeing as she, herself, was curious, too.

Harry answered each question with no trouble. How he got Dumbledore to help him. How he had become the Master of Death. How the spell for resurrection was ancient, so there was no need for an incantation.

By the time he finished answering all the questions Hermione had - Lily, James, and Sirius had all changed into the clothes Harry had brought them in the forgotten knapsack he had over his shoulder, and they had all conveened into the awaiting chairs that Harry had conjured earlier.

Ginny had looked over her clothing earlier, and decided to give Lily an oversized sweater she had and jeans. The jeans were a tad too short on Lily, but they would work for the time being.

Ginny was currently sitting on Harry's lap, a fact that Ron had looked about to argue with at first, before Hermione sat herself upon his lap as well - causing Ginny to gape and Ron to flush scarlet.

Ginny had wondered out loud when and where Ron finally grew a brain and they finally got together… and they briefly said that they had just got caught in a moment while dancing at the ball the night before. Ginny was so happy for them.

Ron still looked a tad bit uneasy as he peeked over at where Ginny currently sat, now and again throughout the conversation...

Not that any argument from Ron would have deterred them. From the way that Harry had immediately wrapped his arms around her waist as soon as she sat down, he was more than content having her sitting slightly sideways on his thighs.

Which brought her back to Lily's statement.

Hermione was nodding eagerly from where she sat on top of Ron. "Of course. There are so many decisions to make…"

"Yes…" Remus mused from over at his own chair between Ron and Hermione's and the one that James and Lily shared. "I think the first question that needs to be answered is whether you announce your resurrection to the wizarding world or not…"

James, who had been lighthearted since Ginny had first ever laid eyes on him, instantly became serious and quite stern. "We're keeping it secret."

He said it in such an authoritative voice that all other noise was silenced as everyone looked over at James questionably.

Lily looked down at him from her perch atop him, and ran calming fingers through his unruly hair, and James huffed out a sigh and ran a rough hand through the other side of his hair.

"Voldemort's numbers are on the rise." James stated, his imploring eyes demanding that everyone in the room listen to him. "I'm honestly surprised that he hasn't attacked already… But I just know for a fact that as soon as we would announce our being back from the dead, it will be hunting season for all three of us. Sure, we could go into hiding again, but this time around, I don't want to take any chances, Lils…" James reached up, his large hand covering half of her face. His eyes were tender and Ginny almost gasped at the true love that she saw between them. "I  _can't_ take that chance… not with your life."

Lily's eyes watered slightly as she looked down at her husband's. "We'll keep it secret, then…"

James sighed and nodded in relief, before he lifted his head up to kiss her in a short, sweet kiss.

Beside her, she heard Harry swallow, before he replied with his own reasoning. "I think it's for the best… at least this way, no one will know about any of you until you want them to know…"

Sirius, who had been glum at the mere suggestion of going back into hiding again, perked up. "So, we'll be the secret weapons, then?"

Both Remus and James grinned at each other with matching devilish grins. "Wormtail won't even see us coming."

Sirius let out a ' _Whoop!'_  and jumped up on his seat so that his feet were now underneath him, his eyes showing the bloodlust for the vermin who Ginny knew as Scabbers for her entire life…

The plans to make after that were easy enough after that initial first decision. James decided that it was best that they move into his parents place, Potter Manor. It had blood wards all over the property, meaning that no person without Potter blood could open the wards and enter the premises.

Ginny listened as they planned renovations they needed to make, how they would get Dumbledore to discreetly get them new wands… anything past that was just minor details.

Harry had been quiet throughout the whole ordeal, and Ginny wondered at how it felt to him to have his parents plan their home in front of him…

Almost as though she were reading her mind, Lily spoke up with a smile at her son, "And, of course, we have to finish fixing up the manor before the Christmas hols… So, that it will be nice when Harry comes home to visit."

She felt Harry tense for a second underneath her, and she turned her gaze to look at him...

What she saw almost caused tears of happiness to come to her eyes.

Harry stared imploringly at his parents, his face alight with the most longing and hopeful expression that she had ever seen on him before. "H- _Home?_ "

James and Lily looked at each other with a loving smile, before looking back at their only son.

"Of course, Harry," James said with a light tone, "Part of the reason we are wanting to fix it up so badly is because we wanted it ready for you to come home to for Christmas. Unless you want to stay at Hogwarts again-"

" _No!_ " Harry blurted out, his hands tightening around Ginny's waist from pure instinctual rebellion against the idea… before he flushed at his outburst and answered in a quieter tone, "I want to come  _home_."

Both of his parents beamed at Harry's readiness to agree, and Ginny felt her eyes sting with threatening tears at the tender moment. One look over at Hermione told her that she wasn't the only one in such a state.

It wasn't long after that where James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus left through the floo… They had spent so long talking that the day had flown by.

Harry had been reluctant as he said goodbye to them… It was clear to Ginny that he had an irrational fear that they would disappear if they left his sight for even a moment. But he swallowed the fear and told them that he would miss them as they disappeared in the green flame of the floo.

Ginny would have stayed up a bit later to spend some more time with Harry before bed, but Harry was downright  _exhausted…_ and it showed.

He hadn't slept at all the night before or any time throughout the day.

Ginny had to help him up to Gryffindor tower with Ron on the other side. She didn't stop helping until they got Harry into his bed, where he fell asleep instantly.

She tried to ignore the glare that she could feel boring at the back of her head from over in Dean's direction, and she managed to be successful.

Ginny looked down at her dosing boyfriend as Ron walked over to his own trunk to change for bed, and she reached down to run her fingertips down from his forehead to his cheek in an affectionate manner. Merlin, he looked so handsome and finally at peace as he slept. And despite his lack of knowledge on the depth of her feelings, Ginny thought about how much she loved him.

…

Harry was  _running_ through the forbidden forest.

His panting breath matched the drumming pace of his beating heart. There was a stitch in his side that hurt, badly, that he stubbornly ignored.

He had been running for a long while, with his wand clutched tight in his right hand, and he felt as though his body was going to  _burst_ from pure  _exhaustion_.

But he hadn't the option of stopping. Not now. Not ever.

He  _just had_ to get there  _in time!_

Before it was too late…

He could see the light up ahead. He knew that they were all there. Waiting for him. To come save them.

Hoping against all hope that Harry wouldn't fail them.

At that thought, Harry pushed himself even harder, sprinting at his top, maximum speed through the branches and into the clearing.

Abruptly, he stopped. His body falling to its knees before his mind had a chance to comprehend and catch up.

No…

_No!_

He was  _too late…!_

They all were there… Every person that he had ever loved. Laying in a large, lifeless heap of flame as they all burned…

The Weasleys… Dumbledore… Remus… Sirius… Ron… Hermione… His Parents…

 _Ginny_ …

A strangled cry of despair escaped him as he saw the matching flame of her red hair get singed and replaced by the lick of the real flame…

…

Harry screamed as he bolted upright in his bed… A cold sweat had drenched his entire body as he was shaken from the vivid clarity of the horrible dream.

"Fucking  _shut up_ , you ponce!" He heard Dean hiss from over at his own bed.

But Harry didn't much pay him mind…

It had been so  _real…!_  He was shaking just thinking on the memory of it… his mind still playing catch up to reality...

"Harry…?" Ron muttered sleepily from beneath his covers, his voice sounding concerned despite the obvious exhaustion in his voice. "You alrigh', mate?"

Trying to calm his shaking body and his heaving breath, Harry managed a normal-enough sounding, "Yes."

This seemed to be good enough answer for Ron, as it was only a moment later where Harry heard snores drift from Ron's bed, once again.

Harry didn't fall asleep again for the rest of the night… not until the sun crept over the horizon at dawn.

….

Harry sat, exhausted, at the Gryffindor table. He had been the very first person to arrive for Sunday breakfast, as every other ' _normal_ ' person was sleeping in for the day.

But Harry merely sat for the time being… not having the stomach to even think about the delicious Hogwarts food that sat on the table before him.

Instead, his mind was occupied on the dream that he had… or rather,  _nightmare_.

Harry stared sightlessly down at his open hands in his lap, his brain foggy and unfocused.

It had all seemed so  _real…!_

The Forbidden Forest… The scraps he got from pushing past outstretched twigs… Even the heat from the fire that burned all of his loved ones…

Burned  _Ginny…_

To him, it had all  _been_  reality… Only, it  _really_  hadn't...

Harry groaned, feeling a pressure that pounded from behind his temples that threatened to turn into a headache. He leaned forward and rested his head down into his open hands with a long groan, his palms rubbing at his eyes behind his glasses.

Perhaps, he should just forget the nightmare entirely. It was in the past now. Instead he should focus on the present and how good his life has become.

His parents and his godfather were alive.

The thought caused a twitch of a grin to grace his lips. It was true. They had been alive for a little over a day, and Harry pondered at how they were managing in the world of the living, once again.

And beyond that, Harry never had to go stay with the Dursleys  _ever again._

He had to admit, that there was a small part of him that was worried that they would still force him to go back to Privet Drive for the summer. Especially as he had sat and listened to his parents plan renovations on his grandparents' home. But those fears had been placated when his parents had invited him home for the winter hols, and Harry honestly couldn't wait to spend his first holiday with his parents!

He had amazing friends who had finally managed to admit their feelings for one another.

And he had Ginny. Who happened to be his best friend as well as the most  _amazing girlfriend in the world._

Why dwell on night terrors when things were finally starting to go Harry's way?

Harry honestly didn't have a valid answer to that question, nor did he want to make the effort to really think of one.

So, he let the matter drop. And as soon as he had, he found his stomach for food, once again, and started in on loading his plate with eggs and sourdough bread.

He had just managed to take a large bite eggs on his toast, and let out a hearty groan from the amazing taste, when he found that Ginny had plopped down into the space right beside him.

Ginny giggled at his full cheeks, poking one with her finger, before saying cheekily, "Pity. I thought that I was the only one who could make you groan like that…"

Harry almost choked, but he somehow managed to keep from coughing up the food in his mouth as he swallowed heavily.

" _Merlin_ , Gin!" Harry exclaimed, once he swallowed enough to cough the remaining tickle in his throat. "Have pity on a bloke when his mouth is full, would yah?!"

He had meant to have it come out stren, but the twitch of his lips at the end gave him away.

Ginny merely laughed before she leaned forward to plant a bold kiss on Harry's slightly parted lips. When she pulled away, it was to reveal a full pout. Harry's breath sucked in at the sight of it, as he wanted to lean forward and take that extended lip between his teeth.

"Is that any way to greet your girlfriend for the day?"

Harry grabbed a cloth napkin from the table and wiped some crumbs that he felt on his chin. Before he put it down and stared at Ginny evenly, letting her see the hunger he had for her burning in his eyes, as he blindly reached for her hand underneath the table. His thumbs drew light circles on the back of her hand.

"No. But the way that I  _want_ to greet you is too inappropriate for such a public place."

Ginny let out a surprised laugh as a significant blush stained her cheeks, and Harry grinned as he saw it as some sort of unofficial victory. Also, he found the redness that spread across those milky, white cheeks of hers to be very…  _appealing_.

Ginny opened her mouth to respond, when another presence plopped themselves down across from them…

They both turned to find Colin, who had started dishing up his plate, before he looked up at the two of them with a grin on his face.

"Hi Ginny. Hey Harry," Colin greeted easily as he grabbed a fork and started in on his breakfast. "Where were you two yesterday?"

Harry frowned at the sight of Ginny's best mate… and he suddenly remembered his annoyance with the boy in front of them.

"I believe a  _better_  question would be, what happened to you at the ball?"

Colin paused with his fork halfway to his mouth, before he slowly lowered his fork to his plate. He must have heard the thick irritation in Harry's tone.

"What do you mean?"

" _Harry…_ " Ginny tried to interject, but Harry found that he didn't much want to be deterred from confronting Colin. Not when Ginny had been left  _crying_  at the ball.

"What I  _mean_  is that you left her all alone. She couldn't find anyone for a long time. Ron and Hermione had left. I was dragged away by Slughorn. But where were you? I trusted you to take care of her, Colin. I  _trusted you_. And you know what happened while you were away? Dean got to her. Romilda Vane came up to say nasty things to her. She-"

"Harry,  _please…_ " Ginny interjected as she let go of his hand. Harry's attention snapped to look at her in the face and he saw that he was actually embarrassing her…

A redness spread from his neck to the apples of his cheeks from a bit of frustration. But he held his breath, counted to ten silently in his head, before releasing it in a huff.

Harry silently shook his head and picked up his fork again to stab at his meal, a silent indication that he was letting the matter go for her sake. He didn't want to get in a fight with Ginny just because he was confronting someone who he thought wronged her.

"I'm sorry…" Colin said quietly, his eyes lowered to the table, not wanting to meet Harry's hard stare.

Harry huffed again, and let his fork fall from his hand to his plate. And he stared directly at Colin. "If Ginny forgives you, then I do too."

Colin peaked his eyes over at Ginny apologetically, and Harry turned his head to see an easy smile on his girlfriend's lips. "Of course I forgive you! It wasn't even your fault. Harry is just being too overprotective, is all."

Harry let out an indignant noise and rolled his eyes as he picked up his fork again. But despite her words, Harry felt Ginny's hand touch his knuckles underneath the table before sliding her hand into his palm again. She squeezed his hand once, and Harry couldn't help but smile slightly as he automatically squeezed back.

Out of the corner of his eyesight, he saw Ginny smile secretively at him, before turning her attention to Colin once again. "So, tell me all that happened with Sterling."

Colin started in on a long and detailed retelling of his 'magical night with Sterling' that Harry didn't much care to hear about. So Harry found himself zoning out, focusing on the circular pattern that Ginny drew over his knuckles and fingers… It was all that he really could focus on, as it sent tingles up his arm and down his back.

Slowly, he brought their intertwined hands over to rest on his thigh, before he opened their hands… With her hand laying open, he started to trace feather-light touches onto her open palm.

Ginny jumped slightly in her seat at the sensation, and Harry grinned at knowing that he was able to give her tingling sensations too, though she recovered without Colin knowing none the wiser.

Harry kept tracing patterns before they were interrupted by the arrival of a snowy white owl swooping down to perch on his shoulder. He jumped slightly at her sudden arrival before he grinned widely at his familiar.

"Hey, girl," Harry greeted affectionately, waiting until she dropped the small package in front of him before he lifted his finger for her to nip at with the same amount of affection. Harry then lifted the back of his fingers to brush lightly through Hedwig's feathers and watched as she cooed under the gentle attention. "You hungry, girl?"

Hedwig cooed again and as Harry reached down to collected pieces of bacon, Ginny reached up to take over spoiling Hedwig with brushes of her fingers through her feathers.

Harry fed the pieces of bacon to Hedwig and watched as she flew off to rest in the owlry.

"What did you get, Harry?" Ginny asked him, and he saw that Colin leaned forward in curiosity to his package as well.

It was common knowledge that Harry rarely, if ever, got mail.

Harry shrugged. "Don't know. I didn't order anything…"

He tore at the thick, brown packaging paper to reveal a small box. He lifted the lid to the box, and froze at what was there inside for him…

Ginny peaked over his shoulder, looking inside the box, and frowned in confusion. "What is it?"

Harry swallowed heavily at the lump that had formed in his throat as he willed for his tears not to form.

Harry cleared his throat, coughing a bit, before saying thickly, "It's - It's a -  _hem_ \- a compact mirror…"

With shaking hands, he reached into the box and carefully brought the mirror out of it. Memories flooded him from the last compact mirror that he had in his possession came to mind…

How he had yelled and screamed for Sirius… how he had wanted so desperately to see his face so that he could apologize for getting him killed… for not using the mirror that he had in the first place to find out if it was a trap or not.

But that was in the past now. Sirius was alive and well, once again, and Harry could finally let that guilt go.

"Why would someone send you a mirror?" Ginny questioned besides him, confusion evident in her voice and her features.

Harry cleared his throat once again and turned to look at her with a small smile. He leaned over to kiss her cheek, lingering, as he whispered so softly that only she could hear, that he would tell her later.

When he pulled away, Ginny merely looked at him. She didn't respond, but her eyes said that she understood.

Harry turned back to the mirror in his hand, looking it over with a slight smile on his lips, before he turned it over and saw that the back was engraved…

' _ **PRONGSLETTE'**_

…..

It was later that Harry and Ginny were sitting in the common room next to the fireplace, enjoying a lazy, Sunday afternoon playing chess.

Apparently, it wasn't just Ron who carried the chess gene… Ginny had already beaten him two times while he had only won once…

But Harry didn't credit it to her strategy… oh no… It had to do with the mere fact that Ginny was an expert at distraction.

Currently, she had taken off both of her Mary Janes and was now rubbing her socked feet over his foot and up the back of his calf…

" _You minx…"_  Harry accused, with a glare as he tried to will his growing erection down.

Ginny laughed. It wasn't the first time that Harry had called her that this afternoon, and clearly, Ginny had no shame in the fact. Not when her competitive streak was rearing its head.

"All's  _fair_ in love and war,  _Harry Darling_ ," She said in an overly posh accent, which caused Harry to snort as he rolled his eyes at her.

Harry had just focused his eyes on the pieces on the board again, trying to regroup his strategy, when Lavender Brown suddenly burst through the portrait door and into the common room.

At her arrival, everyone looked up to see who it was that came into the room in such a disruptive manner as the door slammed against the the inner wall of the common room - causing the Fat Lady to let out a shout of protest.

But Lavender didn't pay her any mind at all. Instead, she looked around with eyes gleaming with what Harry had come to understand as knowledge for new gossip…

Lavender's eyes searched to room wildly, until they landed right on Harry and Ginny sitting across each other by the fire.

She gasped when she saw them and marched forward with purpose, in her hand she held a rolled up magazine.

" _Harry!"_  She cried out, her eyes wild with excitement, "You're on the cover of  _Witch Weekly!_ "

Harry's eyes widened as she was suddenly in front of them, thrusting forward the magazine in question with eagerness and purpose…

An immediate feeling of dread swept over him as he lifted a shaky hand up to grab the magazine from her…

Once he had it in his grasp, he slowly unrolled it and laid it out on his lap, and sure enough…

The picture was of him in his dress robes from the ball the other night… He had a very neutral expression on his face as the picture of him moved, his hands coming up to fix the bowtie around his neck. Harry wondered  _when_ in  _Merlin's beard_ it was taken?!

But that wasn't the most disturbing part…

The part that  _really_ perturbed Harry was the headline…

.

**I Spent the Night Getting to Know Harry Potter**

_-An in-depth ten-page featurette on the Boy-Who-Lived_

.

Harry just stared and gaped down that the utter garbage that was before him…  _ **What**_ _in the_   _name of_ _ **Merlin**_ _?!_

"Can we have a bit of privacy, Lavender?" He heard Ginny ask before he felt Lavender walk away without even looking up from the page. He didn't hear any sort of response from her, so Lavender must have understood that Harry didn't even come close to sharing the level of excitement about this as she had.

He was shaken from his trance when Ginny had stood and crossed the short way to plop herself down next to him. "Let's just read the article before we freak out prematurely, ok?"

Harry swallowed heavily and nodded. Ginny took the magazine from his frozen hands and opened it, flipping the pages until she landed on the offending article in question...

.

**I Spent the Night Getting to Know Harry Potter**

.

_-An in-depth ten-page featurette on the Boy-Who-Lived_

_._

_By Gelmerta Tisley_

_._

_Hello my fellow readers! Have I got the scoop for you! As you all know, the famous boy-who-lived, Harry James Potter, has managed to remain quite the mystery since he re-emerged in the Wizarding World at age ten. Since then, his private life has been kept exactly that - private. It is impossible to get within a distance of the possible 'Chosen One', as the only time he is within the Wizarding World, is when he is away at Hogwarts - which readers may know is an impenetrable force. Since reporters have a difficult time getting to know him, readers and adoring fans alike have been left to wonder for years about details that makes up Harry Potter._

_How does he like to spend his time? What is his favourite candy? Is he introverted or extroverted?_

_Since he rejoined the Wizarding World, we have been given brief glances into his life. For example, 'How does he like to spend his time?' Well, we found out that answer when he became the youngest seeker in a century for the Gryffindor quidditch team!_

_We know that he has a familiar in the form of a white owl that he named, Hedwig._

_And perhaps, most exciting of all, was that he had a torrid love triangle with Bulgarian chaser, Victor Krum, and long-time friend, Hermione Granger back in 1994 during the Tri-Wizard Tournament._

_All that_ _**this** _ _reporter knows is that the air of mystery surrounding Potter is what makes discovering new information about him all the more exciting!_

_With that being said, prepare for your gathering excitement, because I've got the exact information you crave and more!_

_As I said before, Hogwarts is an impenetrable force - with good reason. There is no entering the grounds unless you are a student, a member of staff, or if you are invited._

_So, imagine my pleasant surprise when_ _ **this**_   _reporter got an invitation to attend a Slug Club reunion at Hogwarts on the very night the students were attending the 'Hogwarts Unity Day Ball'!_

' _Was this my chance?' I had thought to myself as I prepared for the gathering. 'To delve deep and discover what I could about the mysterious Harry Potter?'_

_I had certainly thought so. And after arriving, I have to say, I wasn't disappointed._

_Upon my arrival, I was greeted by our gracious host, Professor Horace Slughorn. We had a pleasant conversation until my innate curiosity couldn't be held back any longer… and I had dropped Potter's name into the conversation._

_Slughorn was more than delighted to talk about the boy! Apparently, Potter is a member of the current Slug Club at school, with Slughorn claiming that he was sure that the boy had a bright future._

" _Potter is a bright boy, indeed!" Slughorn had commented, excitedly. "He excels in Potions expedentally! He is definitely his mother's son in that regard. That and, of course, he has his mother's eyes."_

_So much new information in such a simple sentence! The way that Slughorn had described it, Potter is well on his way to becoming a Potions Master!_

_After that, Slughorn had mentioned that Potter may very well be just on the other side of the door, enjoying the ball. And I am not ashamed in the fact that I may have heavily encouraged Slughorn to go fetch him so that we could all meet him._

_Slughorn had agreed, and to say that my excitement had hit an all-time high at that point, could go without saying._

_Slughorn took his leave, and a long moment later had returned with the boy in question!_

_And that's when it hit me… I, Gelmerta Tisley, was in the same room as_ _**Harry** _ _._ _**Potter** _ _._

_And let me tell you ladies, he looked quite dashing. His hair looked sleek instead of the normally messy look we all have seen in the few pictures we had managed to get of him in the past. He also wore black, dress robes that made him look five years older than he actually was! But what was probably most charming of all, was the sheepish expression that he had adopted upon entering the room._

_I swear that all that were in attendance had flocked to him immediately, asking him so many questions. I almost felt as though I had to beat people off with a stick in order to get my chance to ask him my own questions._

_Of course, the first question I had to ask him was about his history with Hermione Granger._

_Harry had flushed adorably at the question, and had been about to answer, when Slughorn had intervened and said that they had attended the ball together!_

_So, at first glance, it would appear that Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were still going strong - but we will get more into_ _**that** _ _later._

_I then asked him what his favourite class at Hogwarts was, and he answered simply that it was Defense Against the Dark Arts. The perfect favourite class for a potential 'Chosen One', if I am not mistaken._

_And the final question that I had been able to ask him - before Slughorn had taken him away to meet other excitable people - was how he felt, after all these years, about having lost his parents to You-Know-Who?_

_It was heartbreaking to see Harry get quiet as he silently reflected on the sadness he felt about his dead parents. And I knew that the look was answer enough… that there would always be a hole in his heart where his dead parents once were._

_Slughorn had taken him away after that, and one would think that I had gotten all of the information I could get that night from that short conversation._

_But no… There was still plenty more to learn._

_After I had gone off to refill my refreshment, I had returned just in time to see Potter leaving the room to go and rejoin the ball. Excitement filled me at the chance to see Harry Potter interacting with his peers in a relaxed environment. So, I followed him out into the Great Hall._

_I had arrived out in the hall just in time to see a - oddly enough - clumsy Harry bump into none other than Professor Albus Dumbledore -_ _Order of Merlin, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. And even more curious, they had even struck up a conversation after the embarrassing matter, where Professor Dumbledore had beamed at Potter with pride - a look that Potter had wholeheartedly returned. Then, even more bizarre, the conversation had turned quite serious, indeed, as the Headmaster and the Boy-Who-Lived resorted to whispers in the middle of the crowded dance floor._

_Oh to be a fly on the wall for_ _**that** _ _conversation! I had inched my way closer, hoping to catch the tail-end of what they were saying. But their discussion didn't last long, and they both parted ways soon after._

_But not before the Headmaster had turned back to Harry and said the following, "Oh, and Harry, I happen to really like snickerdoodles… do you?"_

_To which Harry had beamed and nodded, before they parted ways, again._

_So it seems that we have found out Harry Potter's favourite treat! And it also happens to be Professor Dumbledore's as well._

_Harry seemed to be wandering the hall after that, and it didn't take me long to understand that he was looking for someone… when it suddenly hit me that he was probably looking for his date, Hermione Granger, who he had briefly abandoned earlier to entertain us former Slug Club members. I had almost squealed at the chance to see Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in an environment where they would be safe to express their love!_

_But Harry had never found Hermione… oh no… Instead, he went up to a pretty, red-headed girl who had been looking out the window._

_Imagine my shock when Harry Potter wrapped his arms around her from behind, only to have the girl whip around and jab her wand into his face!_

_Harry had seemed quite shocked by the action as well, as he held his hands up defensively. I couldn't see his expression at all, as I was witnessing the account from behind him, but I could see her expression. And it appeared that she looked visibly upset._

_Harry, ever noble and gentlemanly, had calmed her down quickly and had embraced her. They had talked for a bit of time, before Harry graciously lead her out to the dance floor._

_Curious as I was to the girl's identity, I turned to a student next to me._

" _That's Ginny Weasley," Said_ _Meyetta Croft, who identified herself as a Gryffindor fifth year, as well as Ginny's dorm mate._

" _ **Weasley**_ _?!" I asked her, "As in Ron_ _ **Weasley**_ _, best mate to Harry Potter?_

" _The very one," Croft confirmed. "Ginny is Ron's baby sister."_

_It seemed to this reporter that Harry Potter had a closer relationship to the Weasleys than anyone previously realized. That is what I couldn't help but think as I watched Harry Potter lead Ginny Weasley in a dance. He expertly spun and dipped her, causing her to giggle with glee._

_The scene was adorable. But one couldn't help but wonder… what about Hermione Granger?_

" _I had wondered that, myself…" Croft mused after I asked her. "Harry and Hermione have a very strange relationship. They arrived at the ball together, but I just saw Hermione dancing and kissing Ron Weasley on the dance floor before they left together."_

_Are you as shocked as I am yet, my beautiful readers? Apparently, Hermione Granger hasn't changed at all from her old ways of playing with Harry Potter's heart. In fact, one could go so far to call Hermione Granger a hussy. What sort of person would break sweet, Harry Potter's heart_ _**again** _ _by going off with his best mate?!_

_And suddenly, Harry's reaction to my question about Hermione earlier made a lot more sense. He must have seen Hermione together with Ron right before he had joined the Slug Club party… Poor Harry had to hide his broken heart while he diplomatically entertained guests of the castle._

_I mentioned as much to Croft, wondering out loud if my speculations were true. To which she shrugged and said that it was possible._

_I continued to watch as Harry and Ginny danced into a new song. They were both talking together in low murmurings and both had upset expressions on their faces. And I wondered out loud to Croft if he was finding solace in Ginny Weasley with his heartbreak._

" _Oh. It wouldn't surprise me that Ginny would take advantage of Harry in a low point," Meyetta Croft commented. "She has had an unhealthy, obsessive crush on Harry ever since before he became close to her family… Harry probably gave in to her because he feels sorry for her."_

_Are you eating up every word just as I had? Apparently, according to Ginny Weasley's roommate, Ginny was abusing Harry's emotions just as Hermione has for years._

_Poor Harry can't seem to catch a break in his love life, now can he?_

_Before I could ask Meyetta Croft about any more insight she would have regarding Ginny Weasley or Harry Potter, Harry had suddenly grabbed Ginny's hand and dragged her across the dance floor and out the Great Hall door._

_Startled by the abruptness of his action, I quickly thanked Miss. Croft and scrambled to follow them._

_As soon as I passed the Great Hall doors, I caught a glimpse of Ginny Weasley's blue dress turning the corner at the far end of the corridor. I had almost missed them._

_But, as I made to follow them, lingering students in formal dress robes had blocked my way, and by the time I made it down the corridor, I lost them._

_I was about to cut my losses and return to the Slug Club party, but for some reason - call it journalistic instincts - I continued on my aimless search of the pair._

_And I am so glad that I listened my instincts!_

_Before I continued on any further, I had cast a 'Notice-Me-Not' charm upon myself and took out my flashless-charmed camera._

_Then, I wandered the empty Hogwarts halls, as though I were just merely taking a trip down memory lane._

_It was a long moment later, however, when I heard the sound of moaning and the clear smacking sound of snogging lips…_

_I continued down the corridor, then suddenly stumbled upon Ginny Weasley… With her_ _ **legs**_ _hooked around_ _ **Harry Potter's waist**_   _and_ _ **snogging the living daylights out of him!**_

_And though we now know that Ginny is merely taking advantage of Harry Potter's emotions, I can confidently say that Harry Potter was_ _**not** _ _complaining!_

_His hands were everywhere! Including on Ginny Weasley's thigh, which was exposed due to her dress getting hiked up._

_There was a long moment where they didn't even come up for air! So, being the responsible journalist that I am, I lifted my camera and took the picture! Which you can now see on the next page._

_Goodbye, my lovely readers, and here's to hoping that Harry Potter comes to his senses soon, and recognizes Ginny Weasley for what she truly is..._

Harry flipped the page, and gaped at what he saw…

Gelmerta Tisley hadn't been lying… The picture was there, and it took up the entirety of the magazine page.

Harry stared at the moving picture of he and Ginny snogging. He stared as it went through the entire sequence before it started it's loop all over again… and he found that he had conflicting emotions on how he felt about the photo...

On one hand, he hated that the picture was taken and that he and Ginny's privacy had been  _grossly_ improached upon. Both he and Ginny were in a sensual pose in the picture that was most  _definitely not_ allowed to be shared…

...

_But on the other hand…_

...

The picture was  _fucking hot!_

Ginny's creamy, pale skin on her thigh was, in fact,  _exposed_ , and Harry's hand was, in fact,  _running up and down_  that very exposed skin.

And the way that Ginny  _clung_ to him in the picture, while simultaneously pulling him closer, caused Harry to start to grow hard in his pants…

"This is  _horrible!_ " Ginny gasped in indignant rage as she too took in the picture.

"Yeah… horrible…" Harry said, distracted as he watched the loop of his picture counterpart delve his tongue past Ginny's sweet, pouty lips…

"What a  _gross_ invasion of privacy!" Ginny raged as she stood harshly from her seat, starting to pace. "The  _blatant way_  that they paint me as some sort of- some sort of  _harlot_ trying to  _trick you_  into a relationship! And then what they wrote about poor Hermione! She's going to go ballistic when she finds out!"

The clear distress in his girlfriend's tone of voice snapped Harry from the lustful spell the picture had cast upon him. Harry turned to look at her, studying her carefully, before he opened his arms to her. "Come here."

Ginny paused in her pacing, looked at Harry's open invitation, before she walked harshly over to him and plopped herself down onto his lap sideways in a frustrated manner… in a way that caused Harry to let out an ' _offph!'_  sound as she did it.

Ginny sat stiffly in his lap, and Harry wrapped his arms around her in order to encourage her to calm down.

"I know," Harry agreed quietly, leaning forward to kiss the red hair that covered the side of her head, "It's not fair…"

At his agreement, Ginny actually started to relax, and she turned slightly so that her body was hunched over and her forehead pressed against his shoulder.

"But maybe…" Harry stated, looking down dazedly at the magazine in his hand. "Maybe, this is for the best."

"WHAT?!" Ginny exclaimed, straightening on top of him so that she could gape at him..

Setting the magazine down on the table, Harry turned his head to face her. His expression was pleading with her, willing her to understand. "Well, think about it, Gin. At least this way, none of the death eaters know that we're a real couple."

Harry watched with dread as Ginny's face flushed red… but not in the endearing way that he liked it… Instead, her face was flushed with mounting anger. "So, you're  _willing_ to let this magazine paint me as the obsessive, needy, baby sister to your best mate that has an unrequited love for you?!  _That's_ what you want the entire Wizarding World to know me as?!"

Harry knew that it was dangerous territory that he was treading upon, but he didn't even hesitate in his answer. "If it keeps you safe? Then, yes. I mean, what do you want me to do, Gin? Call up Rita Skeeter and set the record straight?"

Ginny paused as she suddenly looked thoughtful. "As a matter of fact…"

Harry shook his head, adamant. "No. I won't do it. I'm sorry, but at least this way you will be safe. It's best that Voldemort doesn't know how much you really mean to me."

Ginny stared at him for a long moment, before she scoffed. "Is  _that_ what this is about?! You-You think that  _Voldemort_ is just going to come to Hogwarts and kill me, just as a big ' _Fuck you, Harry Potter'_?!"

Harry winced slightly at her mounting tone, but he remained firm in his resolve.

"He's been known to do it before!" Harry argued, passionately. "He went and killed both of my parents to get to me! He used Sirius as a pawn through the visions he gave me to draw me out!  _Trust me_ , Gin… If he finds out even an  _inkling_ of how much I care about you, he's going to try to exploit it."

" _Really?_ " Ginny drawled, her voice thick with sarcasm and disbelief. "Then why hasn't he tried with Ron and Hermione then?"

"Voldemort doesn't understand friendships," Harry explained, willing her with his eyes to understand and to go along with what he thinks is best when it regards Voldemort. "He thinks that friendships are just people who are to be used for personal gain and are expendable."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You're underestimating his intelligence, Harry. And I don't think that you know him as much as you think you do."

"I am not! And of course I know who Voldemort is!" Harry exclaimed passionately. "I've been looking into his past with Dumbledore!"

"Have you forgotten that I've had him in my head, too?" Ginny snapped. "You may have observed him, he may have put visions in your head, Harry. But you haven't  _really_ even gotten close to what  _horrible_ , calculating things are in his mind! But I have! And trust  _me_ , he  _knows_ how important friendships are to other people, even if he doesn't understand them, himself. If he could, he would've gone after Ron and Hermione long ago. But you know why he hasn't?"

Harry shook his head.

"Because they aren't accessible, Harry." Ginny explained. "Hogwarts is too impenetrable. The Burrow wards are too great, thanks to Bill, and Hermione's home isn't known to the public."

"None of those things could stop Voldemort, Ginny." Harry argued back, unable to believe how lightly she was taking Voldemort's capabilities. "Not if he was motivated enough. If he… if he  _took you_  to draw me out… he'd know that I would do anything to get you back, Gin."

…...

Ginny stared at him for a long moment. Her eyes were wide as she thought over his words of passion. There was a panic behind the green of his eyes that she didn't quite understand.

"Why are you so afraid of him?" She finally asked.

The question seemed to startle Harry, before he looked confused. "I'm not afraid of Voldemort." His voice was honest.

"Then what  _are_ you afraid of?" Ginny pressed, hoping against hope that this was the crack of an opening to the window of Harry Potter's mind.

But… Harry remained silent. And the longer his silence reigned on, the more Ginny resolved herself that she would finally get her answer another time. But along with her resolve, grew mounting determination. It was time for Harry Potter to face his demons.

But in order for him to do that, he had to know that he wasn't the only one who had to face their past…

So, as Ginny stared up into Harry's regretful and apologetic face, and tried to muster an expression that said that she understood. Then she leaned forward to wrap her arms around him.

She had plans to make…

Ginny was interrupted from her thoughts as an owl came swooping down and landed perched on the arm rest next to them.

It was Errol!

They both stared in dread as they saw that Errol was carrying a red, howler envelope…

The old owl dropped the envelope on her lap, then flew away, exhausted and not even bothering to wait for treats.

Ginny stared down at the red envelope that was starting to burn at the edges before her.

She had never gotten a howler, before.

Harry sighed, before he took out his wand and casted a muffliato spell - a spell he had learned from the Half-Blood Prince's book that was a good substitute for a silencing spell in open spaces - before he turned weary eyes to Ginny. "It's best that you just get it over with now. The yelling will only sound like loud buzzing to everyone else."

Feeling less embarrassed about the whole ordeal now that no one could overhear her parents - more likely just her mum - yelling at her for some reason…

And she thinks she knows exactly what had upset her mum…

Taking a deep breath, Ginny put on a brave face and opened the envelope. As soon as she had, the howler came to life, her mum's amplified voice screeching at them.

" **GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY!"**

Ginny and Harry winced. It was never a good start when they used the full name…

" **THIS ARTICLE ABOUT YOU TRICKING HARRY INTO A RELATIONSHIP BETTER NOT BE TRUE!"**

Ginny felt a red hot anger start to swell in her chest and up her neck. Did her mum really think so poorly of her?

But before she had a chance to get really worked up, the howler continued. " **BECAUSE** _ **MERLIN KNOWS**_   **THAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU AND HARRY TO BE TOGETHER SINCE HE FIRST CAME TO THE BURROW!"**

Ginny and Harry's jaws dropped, unable to hide the blatant shock the both felt.

" **AND SO HELP ME, IF WHAT THIS ARTICLE SAYS IS TRUE, I WILL BE** _ **SEVERELY**_ **DISAPPOINTED!"**

Then, in a sudden shift of a quieter voice, she continued on, " **But a large part of me knows that it can't be true! And it just makes me so happy! Oh, we have so many plans to make! Harry, dear, if you are listening in as well, you have to start thinking about how you are going to propose!"**

A violent coughing fit overcame Harry as he wheezed for breath, while Ginny could only stare in horror at the red letter that emulated her mum's voice. " **And Ginny, we must start planning the colour scheme you'll want for the ceremony, as well as the reception! It's difficult to make any further plans until that is decided… Hmm? What's that Arthur? Oh right, I almost forgot. GINEVERA! FROM WHAT I SAW OF THAT PICTURE IN THE MAGAZINE, YOU'D BETTER STILL HAVE YOUR FLOWER!"**

She heard her mum's voice clear her throat again, before it was quieter and pleasant again. " **I hope you're doing well! Keep studying hard, and remember to make decisions on the plans we discussed. Oh, and Harry? I know that you've always been an honorary Weasley, but welcome to the family! You'll be my only Son-In-Law but, of course, you'll also be my favorite! Love you both!"**

That was the end of the howler, as it started to rip itself into tiny pieces that burned into ash...

Both Ginny and Harry couldn't look at each other after the embarrassing things they just heard… What was her mum  _thinking_? It was  _much too soon_  to start thinking about  _marriage!_ She was only  _fifteen_ for Merlin's sake! She couldn't start talking about marriage! It would surely scare Harry off from her for good!

Little did Ginny know that Harry's face was red for an entirely different reason. He had thought and entertained the idea of one day marrying Ginny before… and the thought didn't terrify him as much as he thought it should.

.

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	43. Chapter 43

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Chapter Forty-Three

_._

_._

_._

" _Night, mate!"_ Harry said in a rambled rush as he shut his curtains on the perplexed face of Ron Weasley.

"Night…" He heard Ron respond, a questioning tone in his voice, most likely thinking that Harry had gone sparse.

But Harry didn't bother with it any further. In fact, he wanted to put Ron  _far_ from his mind…

After waiting a bit and hearing Ron and the rest of his dorm mates settle into their own beds, Harry took out his wand and whispered a silencing spell on his curtains. Then he froze, waiting to hear if anyone had heard him cast the spell.

But all he heard was heavy breathing and the beginning of snores in response.

Harry let out a sigh of relief before a randy grin stretched across his face. He sat up more readily against his headboard and turned to fluff his pillows a bit before settling back against them once again.

Once settled, he adjusted his hold on his wand and recited the simple spell that he had learned in his first year…

" _Lumos!"_

The tip of his wand lit, and Harry set it aside, propping it up within the folds of his bunched together blanket to give him enough light… Before he saw his shadow from the casted light and thought better of it. Harry grumbled slightly as he grabbed his wand and recited a spell that got rid of the shadows that could probably be seen from the other side of the curtain.

He  _really_ didn't need anyone to see what his shadow movements were going to do in a moment… Especially Ron. It was bloody lucky that Ron didn't so much as kill him after he read the magazine article, though Harry knew that Ron had been tempted. Until Hermione had come along and told Ron that he had no right to judge, since being caught snogging was a lot more innocent than getting caught in bed together.

That had shut Ron right up.

He put the wand back in its propped up place, and figured that the dim wand-light would do just fine.

With jittery excitement, Harry then shoved his hand into his fleece pajama pocket and dug around for the piece of folded up glossy paper. He grinned once he got a hold of it and pulled it out.

With eager hands, Harry unfolded the paper, only to pause and frown at all of the crease lines all over the page…

Harry grabbed his wand from its resting place and cast an ironing spell to get rid of the creases on the page. He wanted his view of the picture to be  _completely_  unobscured.

After putting his wand in its resting place,  _once again_ , Harry allowed himself to get a good look at the picture.

His greedy eyes tried to take in every detail.

He watched as his picture counterpart attacked Ginny's lips with his own, shoving his tongue past her swollen lips and dancing with her own, and-

 _Fuck!_  He was  _so hard!_

Harry wasted no more time. He wasn't such a masochist that he wanted to make himself suffer as he watched the tortuously erotic scene play before him in a loop. He slipped his hand into his pajama trousers and grabbed hold of his engorged length.

He started out slow with his hand movements, merely wanting to give himself a bit of relief as his eyes scanned over every inch of Ginny's body that was pressed against his own in the picture. She looked so fucking gorgeous in the photo, with her fiery, red hair against the dark,

blue fabric of her dress. And the way that her eyelashes fluttered even with her eyes closed as she tilted her head even more sideways to allow him more access to her delicious mouth.

But the appraisal in his eyes kept going back to the milky, white skin at her thigh that was revealed by her hiked up dress…

The way her legs constricted around his waist… drawing him in closer…  _Merlin_ , she was his own personal  _siren's call_.

His eyes wandered down lower in the picture, focusing on the exact spot where they were almost connected… if it hadn't been for her knickers and his trousers separating them.

Harry let out a long, hearty groan as his stomach muscles constricted with fluttering sensations, and he started to move his hand faster, his hips thrusting upward into his open fist.

His imagination started to go wild.

He imagined his picture counterpart letting one of his hands on her hips go, before merely reaching between the two of them and freeing the fabric that stood in the way between them.

He imagined freeing his cock by just loosening one button and pulling down one zipper, before he would reach underneath her dress and pull her knickers to the side.

He would feel her wetness against his fingers as he did this. And he would let out a unhindered groan as she would gasp at the contact.

Then, she would plead with him to push his hips those couple of inches forward… and he would do just that, sheathing himself in what he believed would be the most perfect,  _tight_ heat.

Harry groaned as his hand tightened even further over the sensitive head of his cock.

He would then start to thrust within her delicious center, gasping as they each claimed each other's virginities.

She would join in on the dance of their love-making by grinding her hips downwards to meet his thrusts beat by beat - creating a rhythm that no song could rival.

But then, through her gasping breaths, she would tell him to go harder. Deeper. Faster.

Until, Harry would realize that, in a sense, they really were  _one_ body as they were joined in  _that way_.

Ginny would then lean closer to him, breathing heavily in his ear, before uttering the most simple, yet perfect, words he could ever hear tumbling from her lips…

" _I love you, Harry."_

Harry came, spilling semen all over his fist and pajama trousers.

" _FUCK! OH, Gin!_ "

With one last intense wave of his orgasm washing over him, the pleasure of it was the last thing that he remembered as he slumped back and passed out in pure bliss…

That was the last good thing that he experienced that night, however.

Because that was when the nightmares started again.

…...

Harry walked out of his Defense Against the Dark Arts class, grumbling at how awful the last couple of days had been…

Word had quickly spread about the magazine article. And though Harry had surmised that it was for the best that he didn't correct the story for Ginny's future safety, he couldn't help but be annoyed and pissed off by the way people were now treating her.

But Ginny took all the gossip and jibes with grace.  _Well…_  to a point.

Harry grinned at how many times she administered her famous bat bogey hex on any boys that said any leering comments to her. Malfoy had been one such stupid boy who had dared to say anything and it had been the third time she made bat bogies come out of his nose… one would think that he would learn by now not to cross Ginny Weasley.

Harry honestly just thought that Malfoy hadn't said anything to Ginny in front of  _him…_ If Malfoy had dared to insinuate that she was anything short of the amazing person that she was, Harry wouldn't be able to hold himself back from showing Malfoy what he was  _really_ capable of.

Despite the rumors, Harry and Ginny carried on their relationship as normal. There was no reason to hide it when half the school thought their relationship was fake anyways. And the people who mattered knew that the magazine article was bollocks, already.

One good thing that came out of the article was the picture that had been taken. Harry's cock twitched as he thought of his wanking session from a few nights ago.

When Ginny had seen Hermione walk in the common room that day they had read the article, she went up to rage and warn Hermione about it.

That was when Harry had taken the liberty of taking out his wand and casting a duplication spell on the picture, which he tucked in to his robe's pocket to use for later.

But he had only used the picture for that one night… Because he had been too exhausted to wank any night past that…

And the reason for his exhaustion?

Nightmares.

Horrible,  _horrible_ nightmares. Of Sirius dying. His parents dying. Ron and Hermione dying. Remus dying. The rest of the Weasleys dying.

Ginny dying…

And each night it just kept getting worse and worse, as they would all die a death more gruesome than the one the night before…

It served to make him more anxious during the day… becoming more and more adamant that Death Eaters could never find out how much he loved Ginny…

He  _never_ wanted his nightmares to become reality.

Suddenly a large hand waved in front of his face. " _Hello?_  Earth to Harry…?"

Harry jumped and looked over at Ron, who had been walking next to him and was now looking at him with a concerned look on his face. "You alright, mate? You really seemed zoned out there…"

A twinge of annoyance spread through Harry. It always seemed that whenever he got lost in his thoughts, someone always felt the need to pull him out of it. What was so wrong with a bloke spending a bloody moment of peace within his own mind?!

But Harry bit his tongue, knowing that the majority of his irritation came from lack of sleep. He had been nitpicking the minorest of things to get annoyed at, and was recently starting to blow them out of proportion.

It wasn't until Hermione had called him out on his attitude yesterday when he suddenly had a moment of self-reflection with how he had been acting.

The only person that he wasn't short with these days was Ginny… which was probably for the best, seeing as she would probably serve his balls to him on a silver platter if he ever snapped at her the way he had been doing with every other person.

And besides that, Harry couldn't help but feel extremely guilty whenever he was around Ginny. The  _bloody article_  was causing a lot of people to treat her differently. There was no need to add to her boyfriend snapping at her on top of that. Lack of sleep be damned.

Harry counted to ten slowly in his head, before letting out a slow breath. It was an exercise that Hermione suggested when Harry had told her that the reason why he was so irritable was because he wasn't getting any sleep. "I'm fine, Ron. Was just lost in my thoughts, is all…"

He didn't elaborate further. There honestly wasn't much else to say, really.

"Oh." Ron said, looking at Harry sideways curiously as they walked. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Harry shook his head tiredly. "No. Can we talk about something else?"

Ron looked at him with a calculating look on his face, and Harry  _really_ hoped that Ron wasn't going to push the issue.

To his relief, he got his wish when Ron started in on how quidditch practice went the night before, and Harry's new strategy to have Ron sit slightly below the rings as he waited for the other team to make a goal. It was easier and faster to push yourself upward than to do a short dive to one of the lower rings.

"It's brilliant, but risky…" Ron said nervously, most likely thinking about his terrible game that he played in the middle of last year.

Harry patted his mate on the back and said reassuringly, "You'll manage it just fine, Ron. You managed to block almost every goal during practice. You've just got to-"

"Harry…?" A small, hesitant voice interrupted him. He turned his head to look behind him and saw that it was Cho. He caught sight of her friends farther back down the hall behind her, watching them, and he realized that Cho ran down the hallway just to catch up to him.

"Oh, hey, Cho," Harry said in a pleasant tone. Ever since their conversation that they had while he was in the hospital wing a while ago, they had actually managed to move past the idea that Cho had of them ever being a couple again. Cho knew that he was dating Ginny now, and she was now dating Michael Corner. And because of that, they had actually managed to be somewhat friends that spoke casually to each other every once in a while. "What's up?"

Cho bit her lip, and her eyes looked sideways to Ron who was standing impatiently next to him, most likely anxious to get to lunch already. "C-Can we talk?"

Harry's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the sound of the nerves in her voice. He looked over to Ron, who was eyeing Cho suspiciously.

Harry felt a twinge of suspicion as well, before he mentally shook it away. It was probably misplaced.

Harry shrugged slightly, "Sure."

Ron's head snapped over to looked at him, with raised eyebrows and an imploring look.

"I'll see you at lunch." Harry told him, and Ron merely looked at him for a long moment, studying his face, before he nodded slightly and turned after giving another suspicious look to Cho.

Harry watched him march off, seeming to be suddenly eager as he went off in search of food. Harry turned his attention back to Cho, stuffing his hands into his front robe pockets. "What'd you want to talk about?"

His voice had a lilt of curiosity to it, as Cho really looked as though she had something weighing on her mind.

Cho bit her lip again, and Harry felt that his short patience as of late found the action to be very irritating.

Why couldn't she just be out with it already? He wanted to go spend time with Ginny at lunch. He didn't have any classes with her during the day because she was a year younger, so lunch was the only time he was able to spend time with her before the end of the day.

"Can we actually go somewhere more private to chat?" She asked, her voice still small. "I've got something important to discuss with you."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed in concern. What exactly did she need his help with? Was she in some sort of trouble that she needed his help with? "Sure, Cho…"

She just stood in place for a long moment, staring at him in a way that said that she was flabbergasted that he'd even agree.

So, Harry took the initiative and turned down the hall. "Well, come on, then."

…..

Ginny was running late. A fact that really grated on her nerves. Because not only was she longing to get some food in her stomach, she also wanted to spend some time with Harry.

Ginny bit her bottom lip as she strode down the castle corridors at the fastest walking pace she could manage.

She was really starting to worry about her raven-haired, green-eyed boyfriend. It was honestly clear to her that he wasn't getting nearly enough sleep. He had said as much to her, but he never went into any further details beyond that. And it left her believing the worst.

Some part of her suspected that it had something to do with Voldemort, wondering if he was in Harry's mind again, as he had been last year. Ginny shuddered at the thought. If anyone knew anything about having a monster like Voldemort inside of their head, it was Ginny. And if that were the case, Ginny would understand completely as to why Harry wasn't getting any sleep.

But when she had asked him about it, he had waved off her theory.

" _It's got nothing to do with that, Gin."_  He had said to her, trying to brush away her concerns.

" _Then why won't you tell me what it_ _ **is**_ _about?"_  She had countered, her tone demanding despite her not wanting it to be.

Harry had sighed then, and responded just as vaguely as before, " _I promise that I would tell you all about it, but_   _ **I**_ _don't even understand it, myself…"_

He was driving her mad with worry.

So, she resolved to spend every spare minute that she had available with him. Wanting to show, by mere action, that she was always there for him.

Which was why she didn't appreciate being late.

Ginny grumbled as she picked up her pace, going as fast as a walk could go. She had been asked to stay after class in Potions today, so that  _dear, ol' Sluggy_ could apologize to her formally about the magazine article.

She was  _so sick_  of hearing about the  _bloody article!_

Ginny honestly just wanted to put it behind her and lay it to bloody rest, already.

It didn't help that many people, especially the boys in the school, were making comments to her about the article. But it seemed that every once in a while, Harry would look at her with such guilt in his eyes about the whole ordeal.

But more than the guilt, Harry seemed to feel determination to make it so no one that wasn't already close to them knew about the extent of their relationship.

And since that day they had argued about the article, Ginny had come to see that  _some_ points in Harry's argument were valid. But she didn't dare say such things to Harry, lest he take things further and demand that they date in secret…

_Or worse…_

That he  _break up with her_  for her safety or some other daft reason that she wouldn't agree with.

It was then that Ginny turned a corner and bumped right into someone who was walking the opposite direction.

"Ophf!" The other girl let out as she fell to the floor from the impact.

Ginny opened her mouth to automatically apologize, but it froze in her throat as she took in the girl on the ground before her.

"Would you watch where you're going, you slag!" Meyetta grumbled, rubbing her head as she stared at her thrown books over the floor.

Ginny was frozen in surprise as she stared down at her dorm mate. She hadn't seen her at all this week. And  _especially_ not since Meyetta had talked to that reporter, Gelsmerta Tisley, about Ginny…

Apparently, Meyetta had been "sick" in the hospital wing all week, so far.

But Ginny knew the truth. Meyetta was just too much of a  _coward_ to face her after what she had done.

Before she even knew what she was doing, Ginny had her wand out of the twist in her hair and had it pointed at the girl beneath her.

"Get up!" She demanded, a red-hot fire flamed in the pit of her abdomen that was growing ever-higher.

Meyetta's head snapped up at the sound of Ginny's voice, and she watched in satisfaction as the blood drained from Meyetta's face at the sight of her… before her expression was swiped clean and her face became passive and neutral.

"Ginny," Meyetta said casually as she picked up her pile of books and stood gingerly before her. "Is the wand really necessary?"

Ginny tightened the hold on her wand and twisted her hand slightly in response. "Why did you say all those  _horrible_ things about me to that reporter?" Ginny demanded, glaring with all of her might at the girl Ginny had once, long ago, longed to be friends with - before the chamber.

Meyetta sneered and Ginny thought that it made her face look ugly. "It's not as though what I said wasn't true. You've been drooling after Harry Potter since before our first year. It was really quite pathetic."

Rolling her eyes with a scoff, Ginny replied haughtily, "You really know how to make a simple childhood crush into something it isn't, don't you? And that's not the reason  _why_ you did it, so quit trying to skirt around the question like the slimy  _bitch_ you are."

Meyetta flinched back at the bite in Ginny's tone, before he straightened and fought to regain her composure by brushing imaginary wrinkles out of her skirt. "Fine. The reason I did it is because we both know that you don't really deserve him. He's  _Harry Potter!_  The  _Chosen One._  And you?" Meyetta laughed and looked at Ginny in a way that implied that she smelled bad. "You're a  _Weasley_. A family so poor that it doesn't even deserve to have any Pure Blood status."

As the insult hit her, she found that it had no lasting effect. There would have been a time in her past where she would have been ashamed by her family's lack of wealth. But she had gotten over that shame not so long ago. When she had come to the realization that there was plenty more that mattered in life than money.

So, Ginny didn't get angry. In fact, she started to laugh. "So-So who do you think truly deserves him?" Ginny laughed as she finally dropped her wand arm in order to clutch her stomach. " _You?!_ "

Meyetta staggered a bit in her confidence as she realized that her insult on Ginny had no real impact. "As a matter of fact, I-"

Meyetta didn't get to finish her sentence, as she was cut off as Ginny doubled over in laughter.

"Why the hell are you laughing, you freak?!" Meyetta exclaimed, irritation and distress finally cracking at her neutral exterior.

For a moment, Ginny could only wave her off as she fought to catch her breath. Honestly, the idea of Harry and Meyetta  _together_ was ludacris! So much so, in fact, that she found it to be absolutely, maddeningly hilarious. They were completely different people that had polar opposite mentalities on life.

Harry hated the spotlight. He didn't care about money, even though he had millions of galleons in his vault. He cared more about people than status. And he was a genuinely nice person.

Meyetta… was the opposite of all of that.

Ginny could only chuckle as she thought of a scenario of a married Meyetta and Harry, with Meyetta trying to force Harry to some posh, pureblood party with Harry downright refusing to go… most likely insisting that they stay in and order fried take out, instead.

Finally, she calmed down just enough to be able to stand upright and speak. "If you honestly think that  _you_ are the one for Harry, then you don't even know him at all. Which tells me that you only really want him for his fame or his money. Which one is it? Or is it  _both_? Harry certainly  _is_ the  _package deal_ , isn't he?"

The sarcasm was seeping through her every word.

They stared at one another, glaring with all of their might. Before Meyetta was the first to crack.

"Whatever." She muttered, hotly. "Stay away from me, Weasley. If you know what's good for you."

" _Fine_." Ginny said in just as thick tone. "Just so long as you know to do the same for  _my boyfriend_."

Ginny watched in satisfaction as she got another glare from that last statement before turn stepped to the side and walked past Ginny down the hall.

Ginny sighed as soon as she was out of sight. The confrontation, oddly enough, made her feel loads better about the whole ordeal with the magazine article. Now that she finally got to tell off the one person who was most responsible for it.

And with that thought, she continued her brisk pace to lunch.

….

Harry could not  _ruddy believe_  that this was happening.

"But…" Harry started, trying to get his mind to catch up to the situation at hand. "But, what about  _Michael?!_ "

Cho was staring at him deeply, with tears gathering in her eyes. "He's not  _you_ , Harry… He will  _never be_  you!"

Harry scoffed, and turned on the spot, facing the closed classroom door they had just entered moments ago. His hand automatically came up to pinch at the bridge of his nose above his glasses.

"I… I just don't  _understand_ , Cho." Harry stressed. Trying to think clearly now that he had his back to her. "I thought that we were past this! We had settled this months ago! You know that I'm with Ginny!"

He felt her arm come up to grab at his bicep from behind, trying to coax him into turning around again. He remained still at stone though, not budging an inch. So, instead, she made her away around him so that she was in front of him again.

" _Not according to the magazine article, you're not…"_  Cho whispered, as she tried to catch his gaze by dipping her head and looking up at his downturned head.

All that she got was a glare in return.

Harry dropped his hand and glared at her with all of his might. "The  _bloody article_  wasn't true." Harry seethed.

Instead of more tears from his tone, as Harry would have expected from her, she merely smiled slightly. "No… I  _finally_ get it now, Harry. The reason why you don't want to be with me… The reason why you  _insisted_ that you love Ginny… You're using her as a shield to protect me."

Harry's jaw dropped. What in the  _name of Merlin_ was she talking about?! " _What?!_ "

Cho smiled wider and nodded, brushing a strand of her raven hair behind her ear. "You're pretending to date Ginny so that Death Eaters won't think that we are together. That is very noble and romantic, Harry, but I think that we should  _at least_  be able to date in secret…"

She stepped closer to Harry's shocked, frozen form, lifting her hands to rub at his chest. "I miss your soft lips…"

She leaned her head upwards just as Harry snapped out of his daze and took an abrupt step back. " _What in Merlin's name-?!_ "

" _Admit it_ , Harry!" Cho exclaimed, in a way that Harry had never seen of her before. "You didn't want us to be together because you  _really are_  the ' _Chosen One'_! And you didn't want to associate yourself with me because you wanted to keep me  _safe_. So, you started to ' _date'_ Ginny to make it so people forgot that we even  _had_ a relationship."

A bubbling, nervous energy started bursting through Harry as he listened to the infuriating theory. "But we never  _had_ a relationship!" Harry exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air in his exasperation.

Cho flinched back as though Harry had slapped her, and her eyes watered, looking hurt.

Harry groaned out in an angered frustration, swiping a rough hand through his hair, before he strode past her. "I don't have the time for this  _rubbish!"_

He threw open the door, walked through it, before slamming it behind him.

He was so  _ruddy mad!_

This latest scenario from Cho was just the tip of the iceberg in the grand scheme of things. And Harry felt that he was about to burst!

He  _had_ to find Ginny. Only she could get him to calm down. To make him feel better about things even though they were downright cruddy.

Harry strode down the corridors towards the Great Hall. Cho was wise enough not to follow him. When he finally made it, he stepped through the entrance and immediately spotted the coveted sight of red hair sitting at the Gryffindor table…

Ginny sat next to Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna, looking all around the hall with a worried expression on her face.

He didn't give her the time to spot him herself. He immediately strode towards where she sat, where she didn't even notice his appearance until he was only a couple feet away.

" _Harry_ -" She attempted to say, before he cut her off, reaching down to grab her hand and attempted to pull her from her seat.

"Gin,  _please…_ I need you to come with me."

Ginny gaped at him as she stood, slower than he actually wanted her to. "What's going on?"

Harry turned his gaze at their friends at the table, eying them with a certain level of unease as they stared back at him with loaded questions in their eyes.

Harry took in a deep breath. "I just feel like I'm about to explode, and you're the only one that can help me calm down. So  _please_ , can we go? I promise that I'll take you to the kitchens later."

Ginny's eyes widened slightly at the frantic tone in his voice, and she nodded hastily, before tightening her grip on his hand and leading the way out of the Great Hall, herself.

They didn't stop until they were up in the Astronomy Tower.

As they arrived, Harry felt a wave of calm overcome him as he recalled the memory of their first shared kiss in this very spot.

When they got close to the edge, is when Ginny finally stopped. She turned to face him, the crisp, winter breeze blowing her hair in her face by thick strands.

Before he could fall into the temptation to brush the wisps of hair from her face, she took out her wand from the knot in her hair and cast a warming charm on the both of them before she grabbed his hand again and gently guided him so that he was sitting on the floor. Then, once he was seated on the cold stone of the floor, she stepped forward to sit herself down on his lap.

Her hand came up to the nape of his neck and she began to scratch and massage the area, causing tingles to shoot down his spine.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly.

And for the first time in quite a while, he told her. Everything.

Once he had opened the floodgates, he was unable to shut them.

He told her about the nightmares that he had been having nightly, and how he didn't understand the meaning behind why he was having them.

How his lack of sleep was making him irritable.

And how Cho had somehow disillusioned herself into thinking that he was dating Ginny because he secretly was in love and wanted to protect Cho.

When he finished, Ginny stopped the comforting scratches that she had been painting on his scalp and tilted her head up to look at him.

She stared intensely into his eyes, which caused Harry to lose his breath. Then, she tilted her head upwards and pressed a soft lingering kiss on his lips.

Harry almost gasped at the tender feeling he could feel coming from her in that moment. He could sense it in her demeanor. He could feel it in her kiss.

It made him forget everything else.

That is, until she pulled away, and he could see the lingering worry in her gaze.

"You don't have to worry about Cho… I don't fancy her at all." Harry stated, feeling the need to let her know to relieve her worries.

But Ginny didn't look any less unnerved as she bit and worried her bottom lip. "It's not Cho that I'm worried about… I trust you completely, and I know that you won't let that go anywhere. But…"

Harry frowned. "But?"

"But…" Ginny said again, before she sighed. "I'm afraid of what these nightmares are, not only doing to you, but also what they mean."

Harry leaned forward to press a lingering kiss to her clothed shoulder. "What do you think they mean?"

"I don't know…" Ginny said with a long sigh, before she shifted her gaze to look at him out of the corner of her eyes. She looked slightly nervous as she worried her bottom lip, and Harry could tell that she was wanting to get something off of her chest.

Harry stared at her with knit eyebrows, wondering at what it was that was bothering her. Before he finally got his answer when she spoke. "What are you afraid of, Harry? I know that you've been keeping walls up to keep everyone out."

The colour started to drain from his face as Harry spluttered, feeling his defensive walls start to rise. "I'm not afraid-"

He stopped at the roll of her eyes.

"We all have things that we fear, Harry. And there comes a time when we have to face those fears in order to not linger on what holds us back… Which is why-" Ginny stood and held out her hand to him in offering. He took it immediately and let her pull him up. "-I'm going to be facing my fear tonight."

With their hands still clasped, Ginny lead him out of the Astronomy Tower and down the stairs. Where they walked down the corridors until they reached the outside of the girl's loo on the second floor of the castle.

As soon as he saw the entrance, Harry caught on to what she was implying and tugged on her hand to stop her.

"You…" Harry swallowed as he squeezed her hand, tracing small circles on her hand. Somehow, he could sense the anxiety she felt at what they were about to do. "You don't have to do this, Gin. Not for  _me…_ not to prove a point."

But Ginny didn't move. She merely stared at the loo entrance before she nodded, resolute. "Of course I have to. And I'm not doing it for you… I'm doing it for me."

They walked into the girl's bathroom together, Ginny's hand trembling inside of his. When they entered and came upon the circle of sinks, Ginny paused and looked up at him expectantly. And he knew without her having to ask that she wanted him to open the Chamber of Secrets.

Thank Merlin Moaning Myrtle didn't seem to be around. She would only make this worse for Ginny.

Harry hissed in parseltongue and the cracking and groaning sounds of the sinks moving out of the way for the tunnel entrance was revealed.

"But how will we get back up?" Harry asked her, turning his gaze away from the hole in the floor to look at her.

Ginny lifted her hand and dug into her pocket to reveal her shrunken broomstick before putting it back into her pocket.

It was then that it really hit Harry that Ginny had really planned for this to happen. Enough that she had prepared for a way to get them out of the chamber.

Ginny stepped forward towards the hole, looking as though she intended to be the first one down the long chute. But Harry stopped her.

"Come here." He said in a coaxing manner, holding his arms open for her to step into his embrace.

She hesitated, but Harry stepped forward, taking away her choice by wrapping his arms around her. Then, he walked her backwards until they were both at the edge of the hole.

Harry looked down at her. Trying to assess if this is what she really wanted.

"Ready?" He asked, hoping that he was giving her one last chance to bow out of reliving her traumatizing past.

Ginny lowered her head and tucked herself tight under his chin. He felt her nod against him.

"Ready." She stated in a uncertain, quiet voice.

Harry stepped them sideways, and took the plunge.

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	44. Chapter 44

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Chapter Forty-Four

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Harry could sense that Ginny was pressing her face into his shoulder just so that she wouldn't let out a scream. Harry had been attempted to let out a yell, himself, as he wasn't quite used to the stomach-dropping sensation of falling without a broomstick. Despite the fact that their backs were to the steep chute of the tunnel, it felt as though it were little use to prevent that falling-sensation they both felt.

Especially for this length of time.

Just as Harry remembered, it took quite a bit of time until they finally reached the bottom. The chute suddenly tilted sideways and they both separated from their embrace as they landed.

Harry rolled a few feet from the impact, until he finally stopped, landing on his back.

Groaning at the jostling feeling Harry knew he could have lived without, he forced himself to stand after a moment and took some time to brush off the dust from his clothing.

He looked all around him for Ginny, expecting her to be still on the floor or just getting up herself.

But he was surprised to see her standing several feet away. Her back was to him, her posture tense as she was stared at all of the broken carcasses and bones of dead animals littered across the stone floor.

Harry swallowed heavily as he surveyed the sight, himself. He couldn't even imagine what was going through her mind at the moment.

Harry didn't waste another moment to linger. Instead, he went the several paces forward to stand by her side. She didn't make any indication of her noticing his presence. Harry stared at the side of her face, wondering at the depth of emotion he saw in her eyes.

Silently, Harry reached over to grab her hand in his, and the action seemed to break her from her trance.

She looked down at their clasped hands and Harry squeezed them in response, before her eyes traveled up to his worried gaze.

"You know, it's not too late to turn back." Harry pointed out, an offering in his tone. Telling her without the words that there was no shame in turning back and he surely wouldn't judge her for it.

Ginny's eyes hardened and without saying anything more, she let go of his hand and trudged forward, stepping on the chips of shattered bone.

Harry sighed and warily followed her.

They were silent as they made their way to the chamber doors. And upon arriving to the grand door of carved snakes, Harry broke that silence by speaking in parseltongue, getting the door to open.

The snakes on the door started to move around in a slither, the cobwebs breaking apart with their movement. Until, the door unlocked with a groan, and opened with a reverberating creak… revealing the open space of the Chamber of Secrets.

Ginny was visibly panting with great effort, and Harry was about to suggest that they turn back again, but she walked forward. Harry followed silently. She kept walking until she was standing in the middle of the chamber… Staring across the way at the giant carcass that belonged to the long-dead basilisk.

"Ginny?" Harry asked, his voice beyond worried and concern. He felt an emotion closer to  _fear_ for her. He reached out a hand to rest on her shoulder. She jumped, turning to look at him with a gleam of terrified craze in the watering of her eyes.

Harry immediately stepped forward and gathered her into his arms. "Perhaps this wasn't a good idea…"

He felt her shake her head from where it was pressed against his shoulder. "No… it's just that… in a sense, in this very spot, I  _had_  died. At least  _a part_ of me had."

She pulled away from his arms and turned, kneeling slowly to caress the floor with the pads of her fingers. There was a notable stain on the stone floor. The ink from the stab wound Harry had inflicted onto Tom Riddle's diary. "I had lost my innocence in this spot… my childhood. He had been in my head for so long, Harry… and I had witness so many terrible things that he had purposefully planted there."

All he could do was stare, at a loss of what to do or say… He supposed that wasn't the point of his presence right then. He was meant to comfort her without words. To merely listen as she worked out her past demons.

She looked back at him with tears in her eyes. "I-I saw them  _die…_ His grandparents - His father. It was all so senseless, I couldn't understand the need for why he had felt he had to kill his own family. But then he made  _me_ kill. It started with the chickens, but he had forced me to try and kill muggleborn students. I-I could've killed  _Hermione_ , or Collin, or-or-"

Harry knelt next to her, sitting firmly onto the cold ground as he pulled her onto his lap, holding her tight as he rocked them back and forth. Trying to force the horrible memories from her head by his mere touch… though he knew that the intention was impossible. "But you  _didn't_. You are no  _murderer,_  Ginevera Molly Weasley. And even if you had, it wouldn't have been your fault."

They sat in silence for a long moment. With Ginny calming her breath, while Harry held onto her as tight as was comfortable.

"I-I think that part of the problem is that the entire situation is still wrapped in mystery for me." Ginny finally said as she broke the silence. She backed away from him slightly so that she could look at his face. "I never really found out what had happened that night. I-I think that it would put some things into perspective, answer some questions."

"You want me to tell you about what happened in the Chamber that night?" Harry asked, surprise heavy in his voice.

Ginny bit her lip and nodded.

Harry debated with himself, warring internally as he weighed to pros and cons of telling her the details of that horrible night in the Chamber of Secrets.

Until, he looked down into Ginny's eyes and he saw how much she  _needed_ to hear this.

So, with a heavy breath, Harry recounted everything for her. Not sparing a single detail. Ginny listened attentively, not once interrupting his account to clarify anything that he said.

Just merely sat and listened.

When he had finished, it was to the silence of the room once again. He didn't dare say anything more as he waited for her to absorb all that he said.

Until, finally, Ginny let out a breath, and the tension he felt in her body vanished as she exhaled.

"Better?" He found himself asking.

Ginny nodded. "Yes. Very much so."

"Want to talk about it?"

"There's not much to say, really. Just that, now that I've faced my fears, by coming down here and realizing that nothing horrible was going to happen to me when I did, it just - I don't know, gives me peace of mind. It still doesn't change what had happened… but now I can use my experience with Tom Riddle to make me stronger rather than let it keep me tethered down."

She looked straight at him, deep into his eyes. "I know that there are some things in your past that are holding you back, Harry. And I'm not saying that you have to hash them all out in this very moment with me. But I do think that you need to start working through them. Because if you hold on to all of the bad memories, it will keep you from your full potential and hurt you in the war."

Her words hit him like a freight train and quite literally sucked the air from his lungs.

"You're right." Harry said, quiet as he ducked his head. Why did he suddenly feel ashamed?

Ginny lifted his head by tucking her fingers under his chin. "Hey, none of that… You need to stop feeling ashamed for things that are completely out of your control." How in the name of Merlin was she able to read him so well? "No one is perfect, Harry, but you tend to blame yourself for things that aren't even remotely your fault."

Thinking this over, Harry didn't respond. Merely hummed to let her know that he was absorbing her words. He felt that dealing with these emotions that Ginny was trying to draw out were too much to deal with in that moment. He would start the process to hashing them out, just as Ginny said, but he could only handle so much for one day.

He had everything that he had been dealing with before they came down to the chamber, but he found that there were still wounds that he felt from  _his_ own experience from the Chamber of Secrets, as well. Sure, they weren't as deep or traumatic as Ginny's, but it had still been a terrifying experience for a twelve year old boy to go through.

And he had never talked to anyone about it.

Ginny nodded once at the noise he made, before she scrambled off of his lap and stood. "Now, I think that there is just one more thing that I want to do before we leave… And I think that it will be good for the both of us."

Harry looked at her curiously, and she held out her hand to him. He took it and she helped him stand. She took his hand, and guided him further down the chamber until they were standing in front of the bones of the dead basilisk.

"Let's destroy it." Ginny said with conviction.

And together, they do. Unaware, he was, that he would be cursing this very action months down the line…

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	45. Chapter 45

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Chapter Forty-Five

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Harry woke the next morning to yet another nightmare… It was really starting to concern him, and he wondered if Voldemort was sending him the nightmares though the mental connection they had - just like with when Voldemort sent him the false vision of Sirius in the Department of Mysteries.

But Harry didn't dwell on the thought and brushed it aside to deal with at another time. Instead, he allowed himself to feel the malicious anticipation that every other Gryffindor student felt for what was coming later in the day…

Harry grinned widely as he shot out of bed. Though he did have a nightmare, thankfully it had only happened right before he normally got up for the day, so he actually had  _some_ sleep last night.

Harry quickly changed his clothes, putting on his warm, green sweater that Mrs. Weasley had knit for him last Christmas and some trousers. Before he left the dormitory, he made sure to grab his winter robe, scarf and mittens, knowing that he would need them for after breakfast.

He knew that it was still too early for Ron to be out of bed on a Sunday, and the loud snore behind his bed curtains confirmed as much to Harry. So, he decided to let his best mate sleep in for a bit longer.

Harry went downstairs to the common room, deciding to wait in the chair by the fireplace. And he didn't have to wait long for people to start coming down from their own dormitories…

It seemed that he wasn't the only one buzzing with anticipation for today, seeing as everyone was up early for the Sunday.

Ginny seemed to be no exception. When Harry saw her bounding down the stairs, wearing the old, green sweater that he wore during his first year that she had claimed as her own. Harry couldn't help but laugh at her excitable demeanor as he stood to meet her at the bottom.

"Harry!" Ginny greeted, ecstatic and also a tad bit smug. She jumped into his arms and he caught her easily, both laughing as he twirled her once before putting her back down on the floor. Though, he still kept his arms around her waist as he beamed down at her.

"You know what today is, right?" She asked, looking up at him with mischief shining in her eyes.

Harry chuckled. "Of course, Gin. How could I forget?"

Ginny only grinned wider in response, before she tightened her hold around his neck and leaned up to kiss him soundly.

Harry kissed her back, loving the feeling of her soft lips against his as well as the taste of her fresh, minty breath…

Until, she couldn't hold back the bubbling anticipation within her any longer and she started giggling against his lips.

Harry pulled back to raise a single eyebrow at her, and the one look had her outright laughing, which Harry automatically joined, as her laughter was too infectious.

"I'm  _sorry!_ " Ginny managed to get out in between fits of laughter. "I can't help it! I just keep  _picturing_ it, and-"

She broke off in another fit of laughter, and they had to lean on each other for support.

They were interrupted by Hermione, who came down the stairs in much the same mood as everyone else. She smiled when she saw them, coming right up to immediately ask, "You both remember what today is, right?"

Both Harry and Ginny, who had calmed down significantly from their laughter, both nodded eagerly at her.

"Of course!" Ginny exclaimed. "And I have to say that I'm downright excited!"

Something flashed in Hermione's eyes that Harry had only seen a few times from her before… the sight of  _justice_ being served.

They all went down to breakfast together, each chattering about what was to come as they loaded their plates with delicious food. It wasn't long before Ron joined them at the table, where he first planted a kiss on Hermione's lips, before he turned to all of them and asked, "You know what today is, right?"

They all laughed, and confirmed that they did, indeed, know what today was.

It was clear to Harry that everyone in the Great Hall was anticipating the end of breakfast. Even some Slytherins were bouncing their legs anxiously in anticipation.

So, when the food on the tables finally disappeared - signifying the end of breakfast - everyone let out a loud cheer and stood from their seats.

Harry stood from the bench as well, and held out his hand to Ginny in offering, where she smiled brightly at him before taking it and standing herself.

The four of them followed the crowd through the Great Hall entrance towards the castle doors to the outside.

Harry and Ginny walked next to Ron and Hermione with their hands firmly clasped and swinging slightly in between them as they walked.

When they were almost to their destination, along with the rest of the crowd, Ginny started randomly giggling again. And Harry couldn't help it, he smiled widely down at her and pressed a lingering kiss to the side of her head.

"I just keep  _picturing_ it!" Ginny exclaimed, causing all of them to laugh as they themselves pictured it as well.

When they got to the quidditch pitch, Harry experienced the unusual occurrence of heading up the stairs to the Gryffindor stands to find a seat. He honestly couldn't think of many occurances where he was a  _spectator_ instead of a player for a quidditch game.

But by the time they had gotten to the stands, they found the seats to mostly be filled with few actually vacant.

"What should we do?" Hermione asked, slightly anxious as she craned her neck for any seats.

They all looked around until Ginny gasped delightedly and pointed towards two seat openings towards the back. "Right there!"

Ron and Harry looked to where she was pointing.

"Those seats will only fit two people, Ginny…" Ron pointed out, with a roll of his eyes.

Ginny looked at him as though he were daft. "Which is why I'll be sitting on Harry's lap and Hermione will sit on yours."

A redness crept up Ron's neck up to his hairline. "Oh  _no_ you won-"

" _Perfect_!" Hermione interjected before the two could get into a row and they would lose the seats. "Let's go."

She started tugging Ron up the steps to the vacant seats, while Harry turned his gaze to Ginny with an amused gleam in his eyes.

Hermione really had Ron wrapped around her finger...

Harry tightened his hold on Ginny's hand and led them up the steps behind Ron and Hermione. They each tried to ignore the whispers they heard following them from the number of Gryffindors that still believed the article. They learned that it was just easier to think that the article never happened and they just continue living their lives as usual.

When they arrived at their spot, Harry let go of Ginny's hand and sat down in the available spot next to Ron and Hermione. Then he opened his arms for Ginny to step forward and sit herself sideways on his lap.

As she did so, Harry caught a waft of her flowery scent. And he was suddenly acutely aware to how close she was to him.

Without meaning to, his mind drifted to what he would do in that moment if they happened to be alone…

He would most-likely pull her closer so that his lips could attach themselves to her neck. He had wanted to give her more hickeys since the first ones he gave her. He had never gotten the chance to really explore them before they disappeared. And they hadn't much time since to find a good time to snog, with everything that had been going on…

He thought of the red welts his mouth had created on her collarbone and much to his horror, he felt himself start to  _react_ in his trousers! And he was quickly filling to full-mast… his erection pressing up right against  _Ginny's bum!_

Beside them, he heard Ron and Hermione chattering with one another, but he was distinctly focused on not meeting his gaze with Ginny's.

He  _knew_ that she could feel his hardness. It was impossible for her  _not_ to.

With all of his internal willpower, Harry tried to get his erection to disappear. He thought of numerous disturbing things, even the mental picture Dudley in that yellow, polka-dot dress that had always worked for him in the past.

But it didn't work this time.

Not with the  _object of his desire_  pressed up  _so close_  to his  _burning need_.

Knowing that he had to face her at some point, Harry lifted his eyes from the spot he had been focusing intently at on the ground. He tentatively peeked his eyes up at her.

She was looking off into the distance… Her face flaming as red as her hair as her eyes were trained away from him.

Harry was  _mortified_! He knew it… She  _could_ feel it!

He had been all prepared to wish for a hole to open underneath him that he could fall through, when Ginny finally turned her gaze towards his.

Her face was still flaming as they stared at one another, and Harry could feel that his own was much the same.

Her eyes were indistinguishable to him. He had no idea what she could possibly be thinking about his predicament… But then she leaned forward, slowly closing in on him so that she could press a lingering kiss on his cheek.

Harry nearly froze at the action.

Then she was pulling away… and looking into his eyes once again with that unreadable expression.

What in  _Merlin's name_  did  _that_ mean?!

Did the kiss mean that she was okay with the way his boner was pressing up against her? Did it mean that she merely understood that it was out of his control? Or maybe,  _just maybe_ , did it mean that she actually  _liked_ it?

Harry was scrambling his brain, trying to find clues through her mere actions. Because it wasn't as though he could outright  _ask_ her about it now...! Or even merely apologize. They were in a crowded place with Ron, Ginny's  _brother_ , sitting right next to them. There was no way he could find out what she thought about it  _now_.

And a sinking feeling overcame him as he realized that he had no way of bringing it up when they were alone, either… Because how in  _Merlin's name_  was he supposed to ruddy bring it up?!

" _Say, Ginny… Remember, back when you were sitting on my lap and you felt my erect penis poking your bum? Yeah… I was wondering what you thought about that?"_

He would probably get bat bogeys coming out of his nose for that one. Just from how  _bloody_ wrong it sounded.

It made him sound like a creep that was propositioning her and it reminded him of something that Draco would say to her.

So Harry merely continued to stare, silent questions in his eyes. And she stared right back.

" _ **Did the quidditch pitch alway have mosqetero eggs laid into the field, Professor McGonagall?"**_ Luna's voice came abruptly from the speakers overhead, causing both Harry and Ginny to jump. " _ **Because if the players touch them, they will start to have hallucinations and want to jump off of the nearest cliff and-"**_

" _ **Miss. Lovegood!"**_  McGonagall's voice came over the speaker, both admonishing and scandalized at the same time.

" _ **What?"**_  Luna questioned, seeming completely unbothered. " _ **It's a defense mechanism for their offspring."**_

Beside them, Ron was laughing uproariously along with some of the other students in the stands, and even Harry and Ginny felt their lips twitch with humor.

" _ **Just introduce the players for the game, Miss. Lovegood,"**_ McGonagall aquised, sounding beyond tired by Luna's antics.

So, Luna did. First, she introduced the players for the Hufflepuff team, each running out of their locker room and onto the field as their names were called. Then, much to everyone's intense excitement, she started introducing the Slytherin team.

" _ **-Vaisey, Slytherin's second chaser."**_ Luna continued commenting, as the fifth year in question ran out onto the field with his broom in hand.

Everyone waited on bated breath. Ginny scooted subconsciously closer to him on his lap, tightening her hold around the back of his neck with her one arm in anticipation. The action caused her to rub against his cock, and it took everything within Harry not to let out a strangled groan.

"And, finally, the Slytherin captain and seeker, Draco Malfoy." Luna announced, and everyone craned their necks to try and see the exact moment Draco would step out onto the field.

It took a long moment, as everyone waited to see Draco emerge…

Until…

" _Merlin!"_  Ron cried out, malicious glee in his voice. " _There he is!_ "

Draco emerged from the locker room,  _walking_ onto the field instead of running as every other player had. And Harry knew exactly why he wasn't as excited as every other player was for the match…

Draco was wearing a green dress. And not just any dress, either. It looked like a dress that would be put on the cover of  _Witch Weekly,_  from how low-cut it was.

But that wasn't all…  _Oh, no_ … Draco had his short, white hair up into two stubby pigtails that stuck straight up from his head. And he was wearing the thickest amount of make-up he had ever seen.

One look at him caused Harry's erection to die.

Which Ginny must have felt, as she whipped her gaze from Draco to lock eyes with him, surprise heavy in the weight of them.

Harry honestly tried not to look sheepish, but he couldn't help it when her eyes were appraising his face like that.

Then, Ginny let her head fall back with a boisterous laugh. Which, luckily, wasn't so out of place as everyone was pointing a laughing at Draco as well.

"Oh,  _my…_ " Hermione breathed with a mixture of disgust and awed curiosity in her voice. It reminded Harry of people who couldn't look away from a tragic accident. "He's  _hideous_."

Ginny, who wasn't even bothering to contain her laughter, managed to get out, " _Harry_  thinks so too!"

Harry thought that he would just about die of humiliation. The only solace he had was that Draco was probably more embarrassed than he was at the moment.

But Ginny must have seen the redness that overshadowed his cheeks, because she finally managed to stop laughing in order for her to lean closer to him to whisper into his ear, "I must say that I'm  _glad_ that you find Draco hideous, Harry. I'd be concerned if you didn't…"

And with that, she pulled away, winked at him and turned to watch the game start.

Harry watched the side of her face for the entire match, completely flabbergasted at this side of his girlfriend… before he finally came to the conclusion that he liked it, just as it was announced that Slytherin had actually won the match.

…...

Harry shivered as his shoes crunched in the white snow with his every step. He had thought that a good walk around the grounds would calm him enough that he wouldn't have any nightmares that night, but the winter air was chillier than he had originally anticipated.

That wasn't his only reason why he was out for a walk. The truth was, that it was just something that would occupy his time. Ginny had to study more for her O.W.L.'s, so she and Colin were in the library for the evening. Harry had offered to help them study, but Ginny banned him from joining them…

" _You are far too distracting, Harry."_  She had said before she had given his a saucy wink. She had been giving a lot of those to him, lately. In fact, she was more flirty with him, altogether.

And he liked it. A lot.

Then, Ron and Hermione were spending some  _quality time_  together, and Merlin knew that Harry wanted no part in  _that_ …

So, he decided that a walk along the grounds would be nice.

He was wrong.

The bite of the wind cut at the skin of his half exposed face as he tried to bury as much of his chin within his red, Gryffindor scarf as possible. He was sure that his cheeks and the tip of his nose were a blazing, chapped red at this point, and he really hoped that he wouldn't come down with a cold.

He had just been making his way back to the castle, when a puff of smoke caught his eye out in the distance…

Harry gasped, completely forgetting how the cold affected him, as he started to rush forward toward the stairway down the jagged hilltop.

Excitement coursed through his veins, and the effect made him feel loads warmer.

He passed by the Herbology greenhouse, completely unaware of the portly body sticking half out of the window of the green house…

"Merlin's beard, Harry!" An exclamation came from the man that Harry had accidentally bumped into, knocking him over to the floor.

Harry looked down at the man in surprise, his eyebrows raised as he noted Professor Slughorn on his bum on the snowy ground.

"Oh, sorry, Professor," Harry said, apologetically, as he held out a hand to help the man up to his feet again, which Slughorn accepted.

"Oh, it's quite alright, Harry… You just have to be more mindful of where you are walking, is all…" Slughorn said light-heartedly as he brushed off flakes of snow from his robes.

Harry bit his bottom lip to keep the snarky reply that he wanted to say in, and merely nodded his head and replied, "I'll be more mindful in the future, Professor."

Slughorn nodded, and lifted a hand to pat Harry on the back. "Very good, then. Now, allow me to escort you back to the castle, Harry."

"But,  _sir_ ," Harry complained, his voice just on the edge of firm, "I had just noticed that Hagrid is back and I was hoping to go pay him a visit."

"Hagrid, you say?"

Harry nodded vigorously, still rather anxious to finally see the gentle half-giant for the first time that year. "Yes. You see, Hagrid and I are quite good friends and I hadn't seen him all year, so far. I only just noticed that he's back in his hut."

"Harry, I can't just have you wandering the Hogwarts grounds unaccompanied." Slughorn chided, in a disapproving tone. "It's almost curfew!"

Harry paused as disappointment coursed through him, before he decided to take a chance to daringly say, "Well, you're welcome to come along…?"

Harry could see the glint in Slughorn's eyes as he considered this. It was clear that Slughorn very much liked the idea of spending quality time with Harry in order to have another chance to 'collect' him as one of his connections.

A flash of distaste coursed through Harry, before, with a start, he realized that Dumbledore would be extremely  _pleased_ with this very situation.

Hadn't Harry promised that he would get close to Slughorn and try to get the tampered memory when Dumbledore brought his family back from the dead?

This could be the exact opportunity that he was looking for. Only, he would need Hagrid's help in order to make it possible…

"Well," Slughorn said, a lilt of concession in his tone, "I suppose a quick chat with Hagrid would be nice."

Harry smiled pleasantly in his outward appearance, but inwardly, he was smirking at his good fortune. Little did Slughorn know, this visit with Hagrid was going to be more than just a quick chat.

They made their way down the jagged stairway together towards Hagrid's hut, and Harry felt the swooping sensation of excitement in his gut at the anticipation of seeing the very first friend he ever had, again.

It wasn't long before the two of them had made it to the door to Hagrid's hut, and Harry took the initiative to knock.

A howling bark came from the other side of the door, which Harry recognized to belong to Fang, before creaking footsteps could be heard on the other side as well.

"Settle down now, Fang." Harry heard Hagrid's distinctive accent. "No need fer fuss."

Then, the door opened, and the flooding of warm light came out of the opening of the door.

" _Harry!"_  Hagrid exclaimed with an exuberant belly laugh. He reached forward to pull Harry into his giant's embrace, giving heavy pats on Harry's back. "Good to see yeh, Harry, good to see yeh!"

"Hello, Hagrid!" Harry replied with a beaming smile as he leaned back from the embrace to get a good look at his friend. But when he did, a prompt frown replaced the smile on his face.

" _Hagrid…_ " Harry breathed in concern and dread. "What in  _Merlin's name_  happened to your face?"

For a moment, Hagrid almost looked embarrassed, before he shook his head and his face cleared. It made Harry even more suspicious.

"Was wranglin' with beasts, is all, same as las' year…" Hagrid responded in a very light, albeit demure, manner. And Harry immediately caught on to what he was implying to.

Hagrid had went to visit the giants again. Most likely on Dumbledore's request.

But judging by the state of Hagrid's face, he had proved to be unsuccessful on his second go around with the giants.

There was a clearing of a throat behind him, and Harry turned to see Slughorn step forward as he extended his hand to Hagrid.

"Hello Hagrid, ol' chap. It's been quite some time since we last met."

"Don' I know it, Mr. Slughorn!" Hagrid said boisterously as he reached his hand forward to heartily shake Slughorn's. "Whacha doin' aroun' Hogwarts?"

Harry smiled slightly as he interceded and answered for Slughorn. "Professor Slughorn took over for Potions this year. And I am mighty glad for it. Professor Slughorn is an  _excellent_ teacher!"

Slughorn spluttered at the unexpected praise, pretending to be modest from Harry's words by dismissing them. But as he did so, Hagrid looked over at him with raised eyebrows and questioning eyes.

Perhaps Harry was laying it on a little  _too_ thick… especially if  _Hagrid_ , the most accepting and naive person Harry had ever met, could see through his bullshit.

But apparently, Slughorn didn't see through it, which was what mattered most.

" _Really…_?" Hagrid drawled, still eyeing Harry with suspicions of what he was up to. "What's happened to Professor Snape then?"

Harry tried not to let his face sour at the mention of Snape, but he was luckily saved from answering in what he knew would be a snide way towards Snape when Slughorn answered.

"Albus had put him in the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. From what I understand, the man has wanted the position for quite some time."

Pure shock flashed across Hagrid's face before he remembered himself and schooled his expression. "Well, I always say tha' good ol' Dumbledore has good reasons fer doin' things."

Slughorn shifted slightly where he stood, trying to cover a cough, and it was clear to Harry that Slughorn disagreed with Hagrid's statement.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew in their direction and all three of them let out shivers.

" _Merlin's beard!"_  Hagrid exclaimed as he stepped out of the way from the open door to his hut. "I've gone an' fergot my manners! Come in before yeh freeze from the chill!"

They all gratefully piled inside, and as soon as they did, Fang was upon them. Sniffing happily before he jumped up against Slughorn with a wagging tail.

It was just the distraction that Harry needed.

He quickly pulled Hagrid over to his kitchen area of the hut, dragging him by the fabric of his sleeve jacket.

"I'm here on business for Dumbledore." Harry muttered as he let go of Hagrid's sleeve and took the liberty to pour some of the hot tea from the kettle he found waiting on the kitchen countertop. "Make sure you offer Slughorn a goblet of mead and keep his glass full. We want to get him plastered."

He peaked one look over at Hagrid and saw that he was looking at Harry in shock. He opened his mouth to say something, but Harry cut him off with a look, seeing out of the corner of his eye that Slughorn had managed to wrangle away Fang and was coming towards them. His robes now looked unkempt.

He elbowed Hagrid discreetly, hoping against hope that Hagrid had heard him correctly and that he was willing to do what he said.

Hagrid jumped at the jab to his side, before he turned to Slughorn. With one last secretive glance at Harry, he looked up invitingly at Slughorn with a welcoming grin. "Would yeh join me in a glass of the finest mead in all of Scotlan', Professor? I've been wantin' to break open a bottle, but I've been waitin' fer someone to join me."

Slughorn looked uncertain, but seemed to look unable to find a way to say no. Hagrid took the choice away from him, as he turned and took out a bottle and uncorked it. Then he poured it into two goblets and passed one over to Slughorn.

"Well…" Slughorn surmised as he looked down at his very full goblet. "I suppose that one drink won't hurt."

And with that, he brought his goblet over to the table where they all sat down. Harry with his tea, and Slughorn and Hagrid with their goblets of mead.

…

"I'mma  _telling_ yeh! Good ol' Dumble- _dee_ -dore went righ' up to dat there stage an' started dancin' the jabberwocky jus' tah keep the poor lad from embarrassment. Good man, Dumble-lee-dore."

It took everything within Harry not to fall over from his laughter as he pictured Dumbledore doing the sporadic jabberwocky dance in front of so many people. He could just picture it with Dumbledore in his bright, purple robes.

Hagrid had been true to Harry's request in keeping Slughorn's goblet full, but in the process, Hagrid had indulged in too much drink, as well. And from the way that Hagrid swayed in his seat, he wasn't going to last past the drink in his hand.

Luckily, Slughorn seemed just as out of it as Hagrid. And Harry was wracking his mind in how he was going to broach the subject of the tampered memory. Especially with Hagrid present.

Hagrid finished his laughter, and lifted his goblet to his lips, attempting to drink all that remained in the cup. But in the middle of finishing it, Hagrid fell back, his goblet falling to the floor and he passed out into a snoring sleep.

Slughorn didn't even seem fazed by Hagrid's fall and instead turned his bleary-eyed gaze over towards Harry.

Harry stared back evenly at him, wondering at how and why this man before him had the answers that he and Dumbledore seeked. It was true that Harry was slightly biased, as he didn't have a very high opinion of the Potions Professor. It seemed that Slughorn cared about everything that Harry has ever detested. Like wealth, status… fame.

Before Harry had even met him, he had already formed a judgement of him from what Dumbledore had told him about how Slughorn would try and collect Harry.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have eyes  _exactly_ like your mother's?" Slughorn said suddenly, drawing Harry from his thoughts.

Harry tried not to roll his eyes. He had heard that very thing from every person who had ever known his mum. "Yes, Professor."

Slughorn nodded minutely, taking another sip of his goblet, before he looked over Harry again. "But you look like your father…"

Harry didn't say anything.

Slughorn set his goblet down, and continued to study him with an appraising eye. "I didn't know James very well. He was the epitome of a troublesome Gryffindor, and I tended to distance myself away from those sort."

Harry tried not to smirk, glad to hear that his dad had given Slughorn hell back in his Hogwarts years.

"But your mother…" Slughorn said, as his voice trailed off wistfully. His eyes stared at nothing as he remembered the past. "I was quite fond of her."

Harry swallowed, unable to know of what to say.

Slughorn stared down at the table, his hand subconsciously wrapped itself around the cup of his drink again. "You know I had a fish once, Francis, he was very dear to me. But then one afternoon, I came downstairs and he, and he  _vanished_."

Harry frowned, wondering at where the conversation was headed. "That's very odd…"

Slughorn nodded, and his arms came up in the air, suddenly animated. "Yes  _it is_ , isn't it? But that's  _life_ , I suppose? You go along, and  _suddenly… Poof_."

Harry stared as Slughorn dropped his hands and looked down at them, suddenly very melancholy.

"The student that gave me Francis… One spring afternoon, I discovered a bowl on my desk. Just a few inches of clear water in it. Float on the surface… was a flower petal. As I watched it sank, just before it reached the bottom, it  _transformed_. To a wee fish. It was most  _beautiful_ magic." Slughorn's voice cracked as he lifted his eyes to look at Harry once again.

Harry could only stare, his lungs now devoid of breath as he sat and listened with wide eyes.

"It was wondrous to behold," Slughorn whispered. "The flower petal had come from a lily… Your mother."

Harry couldn't even blink.

"The day that I came downstairs, the day the bowl was empty… was the day your mother..." Slughorn trailed off, seeming unable to finish the sentence that would have broken Harry if he didn't already know that his mother was alive and well. Slughorn's eyes suddenly became wide and knowing as his fingers slowly unfolded themselves flat onto the table.

"I know why you're here…" Slughorn whispered before he shook his head minutely, "...But I can't help you… It'd ruin me."

Harry swallowed, and finally blinked his eyes as the brokenness of the words hit him. "You know how I survived, Professor?" His hand came up to trace the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. "The night I got this…"

Slughorn's gaze openly stared at the prominent scar on his forehead as he traced it. Harry dropped his hand. "It was because of  _her_. Because she sacrificed herself. Because she  _refused_ to step aside. Because  _her love_  was more  _powerful_ than Voldemort-"

Slughorn immediately held up his hands and shook his head in fear. " _Don't say the name._ " He said, hastily.

Harry frowned.

"I'm  _not afraid_ of the name, Professor." He said with a hard edge to his tone as he stood and walked around the table until he was standing right in front of Slughorn, towering over the seated man. "I'm going to tell you something… something that only others have guessed at. It's true. I  _am_ the  _Chosen One_."

Slughorn looked up at him with a mixture of dread, awe, and fear.

"Only I can destroy him," Harry continued passionately, "But in order to  _do so_ , I  _need to know_  what it was that Tom Riddle asked you all those years ago in your office and I need to know  _what you told him_."

Slughorn was shaking his head in denial before Harry even finished his sentence, his bleary eyes now watery.

"Be  _brave_ , Professor!" Harry exclaimed, as he took hold of the courage of the words that seemed to want to flood through him. Before he trailed off, his voice becoming soft. "Be brave like my mother… Otherwise, you disgrace her."

The watering in Slughorn's eyes tipped over to the tops of his cheeks as he stared up at Harry with desperate grief.

"Otherwise… She died for nothing." Harry said quietly. "Otherwise, the bowl will  _remain_ empty. Forever."

The tears stopped flowing from Slughorn's eyes. And he looked up at Harry with nothing but a daunting stare. Harry watched as his arm moved, down to his pocket where he got his wand.

"Please…" Slughorn's cracked voice whispered. "Don't think badly of me when you see it. You have no idea what he was like, even then."

Slughorn lifted his wand to his temple, concentrating with a wince as he extracted the white wisp of the memory from his mind.

Harry could hardly breath as Slughorn held up a vial in his shaking hand, and Harry reached forward to help him steady it as he released the memory into it.

…..

"I must say that I am impressed that you took your mission so seriously, Harry." Dumbledore stated as he poured the memory from the vial into the pensive. They both stood, looming over the pale glow as the memory took hold in the watery bowl.

As soon as Harry had departed from Hagrid's hut, he had went straight to Dumbledore's office with the memory. Luckily, he had his invisibility cloak to keep him hidden since it was past curfew. And Merlin knows that if he were caught by Filch, he would have confiscated the vial from him.

Harry chose not to respond to Dumbledore's praise, not knowing what to say. Some part of him actually felt guilty in how he had used his mother as a pawn to get what he needed from Slughorn. Lily Potter was no longer dead, but Slughorn didn't know that. And Harry had used that to his advantage.

But he kept telling himself that it was all for the greater good of the Wizarding World. He did it to  _keep_ his mum safe, along with his dad, Sirius, Remus, the Weasleys, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. And that was a mission that he took  _very_ seriously.

"You ready?" Dumbledore asked him and Harry could only nod before they each leaned their heads forward to get sucked into the pensieve.

The memory started out similar to the tampered one before. Until the key differences started to reveal themselves. For one, Slughorn didn't shout at Tom and instead answered his inquiries. And as Harry watched the sly smile on Tom Riddle's face, it sent shivers down his spine… memories from the Tom Riddle he saw in the Chamber of Secrets coming to mind.

It wasn't long before they both emerged from the pensieve. Harry looked over at Dumbledore, who immediately strode over to his desk, rummaging through the mess in his drawers with intent purpose.

"Professor…?" Harry asked, his voice wary as he sensed, with mounting dread, the precariousness of the situation he was about to learn of. "What's a horocux?"

With a gleam in his eye, Dumbledore found what it was that he was looking for and produced a hole-ridden book that had multiple stab wounds and ink stains covering the pages.

Harry's eyes widened as he recognized Tom Riddle's diary.

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	46. Chapter 46

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Chapter Forty-Six

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Horcruxes.

Harry shivered as he made his way down the corridors underneath his invisibility cloak.

The very idea was unnatural.  _Evil_ , even. But then to go beyond just the mere idea and actually follow through with it?

Harry shuddered again, feeling as though he were going to be sick.

How could anyone desire to split their soul  _seven_ times? Immortality, be damned.

In a way, it reminded Harry of what happened to wizards when they were kissed by dementors. They were nothing but an empty shell without their souls.

Sure, when Voldemort split his soul, he became immortal. But at what cost? Was that immortal life even worth living without the entirety of his soul? Could he even feel anything besides hatred and greed?

When he had asked about what the horcruxes were, he never expected the weight of the answer Dumbledore gave him. And it was a burden that was put onto Harry's shoulders.

 _He_ , more than anyone, had to ensure the finding and destruction of all seven horcruxes. It was his destiny as the 'Chosen One'. It was the prophecy.

Because the horcruxes kept Voldemort alive. ' _And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…'_

Harry was uncertain of this tremendous responsibility. He was no powerful wizard. Not like Dumbledore.

But Dumbledore had assured him that he wasn't alone in this task. That he would have help. Then, he had went on to inform him that two of the horcruxes were already destroyed. Tom Riddle's diary as well as Marvolo Gaunt's ring.

Harry had then asked him if he knew of any place where the other horcruxes could be. Dumbledore had looked a tad bit stricken for a long moment as he stroked his beard with his blackened hand. Then, he had said that he would need time to figure out the locations, as well as what they actually were.

Harry thought that it was certainly a daunting and impossible task. But he trusted Dumbledore. With him on his side, Harry was sure that he wouldn't fail.

Harry lifted his head from the invisibility cloak when he approached the painting of the Fat Lady.

She was fast asleep.

"Pssst!" Harry hissed, nudging the frame nimbly with his knuckle.

The Fat Lady awoke with a start. "Oh! Good Heavens!"

"Shhh!" Harry shushed, waving his hand slightly in an effort to get her to be quiet. He let the invisibility cloak fall from his shoulders as he gathered it together and put it in his robe's pocket. "It's only me."

" _Mr_. Potter!" The Fat Lady admonished. "I thought that we were well past your horrid habit of wandering around the grounds!"

Harry had been about to open his mouth to answer, when a voice behind him interrupted.

"Yes,  _indeed…_ " The slow, slimy voice interceded from behind him.

Harry's back stiffened, and he turned to face the man who had caught in out of bed past curfew. His wand was extended, with the tip being illuminated by a dim lumos charm.

Professor Snape looked at him with every ounce of hate, which Harry returned wholeheartedly.

Merlin did he hate this man. It was really no wonder why his dad and Snape were enemies back in school. His dad must be a really good judge of character.

" _Detention_ , Potter." Snape drawled slowly with an ugly sneer. "And  _one hundred points_  from Gryffindor."

There was no holding it back. The words had bubbled up from his chest and burst forth from his mouth. "When are you going to learn that I  _don't care_  about house points, anymore,  _Snivellus_?"

Snape's eyebrows raised in surprise for a mere moment, before the hatred on his face intensified. "Fine, Mr. Potter.  _Two_ detentions. You want to try for a third? Or would you rather open that fat mouth of yours that resembles your  _dead father,_  so?"

The Fat Lady gasped.

Harry's wand was out before he had even comprehended the full extent of the words. Snape merely smiled his ugly grin that showed his yellowed teeth. Luckily, Harry had enough common sense not to curse the slime in front of him outright.

"So predictable…" Snape mused, as he started forward slightly in a causal jaunt. "How does it feel, Potter, to be responsible for the deaths of so many people? I'm sure it must boost that insufferable ego of yours, just as it would your father's."

" _SHUT UP!_ " Harry cried out as he pointed his wand even further, unable to stop the effect that the words had on him.

"Leave the poor boy alone!" The Fat Lady cried out, tears in her voice.

"What in  _the blazes_  is going on here?!" A thick Scottish accent echoed down from the hall.

They both turned to see Professor McGonagall striding down the hall, in her nightgown and robe that was tied by the sash. Instead of the tight, strict-looking bun that he always saw in her hair, she wore her hair in a single braid.

Snape straightened slightly, as he diverted his attention away from Harry. "I had just caught Mr. Potter out of bed after curfew."

McGonagall came upon them, her eyes taking in the scene before her, and Harry realized that he still had his wand raised and pointed at Snape. He lowered it gingerly, feeling himself oddly calm under her hard stare. "Well, I  _must say_ that it looked far more serious than just that."

Neither of them spoke, each not knowing how to respond to such an observation.

McGonagall turned her stare from Harry over to Snape, before saying, "I think I can manage everything from here, Severus. You may go."

Then she turned her full attention over at Harry, her eyes unreadable.

Snape sneered. "But  _I'm_ the one that caught him wandering the halls."

McGonagall's eyes widened and she turned a blazing look back over at Snape. "Yes, but am I  _not_ the Gryffindor Head of House?  _Go_ , Severus."

Snape had no argument for that, so he had no choice but to do as she said. He turned on his heel and stalked down the hallway, his robes billowing behind him.

McGonagall sighed, and looked over at Harry with a weary look. "I must ask, Potter… Were you with Professor Dumbledore, again?"

Harry's eyes shifted over to the Fat Lady nervously, who was silently crying in her portrait over his exchange with Snape. She seemed to not be paying attention as she sniffled about how injust it was for a Professor to bring up a student's dead parents.

Minutely, Harry nodded. Just enough for McGonagall to see.

McGonagall huffed out in exasperation. "I  _honestly wish_  that he wouldn't be so hard on you. You need to sleep, sometime! You are only a boy! Not a soldier for  _war!_ "

McGonagall paused, seeming to realize her very own words, as she then stated the password to the blubbering Fat Lady. "Get to  _bed_ , Potter. You have classes to attend to in the morning, as do I."

Harry nodded and did as she said, stepping through the portrait hole as he watched as McGonagall close it behind him.

…

But Harry didn't go to sleep right away. Not yet, at least. Instead he went up to his dormitory long enough to grab the compact mirror before he brought it down to the common room.

He sat by the fireplace, situating himself in such a way to be able to get the best angle of light, before he called their names.

"James," Harry said to the mirror. "Lily."

He waited a moment before he tried once again.

" _James_ ," Harry tried, this time more insistent. " _Lily_."

After he waited another moment, Harry had been about to try again, before the mirror shimmered and the sluggish, sleepy faces of his parents appeared in the mirror.

Harry paused at seeing their mussed up hair and the drooping of their tired eyes. He had forgotten that it was late and they had to have most likely been sleeping before Harry had woken them up.

Upon seeing his face, however, they became more alert.

"Harry?" His dad's insistent voice rang out. "What's happened? What's wrong?"

He could see the worry in their eyes and he felt even more guilty for disturbing them.

"Sorry… it's just- Well, I just wanted to talk to you." He said, lamely. Looking back now, he really had no need to calling them through the mirror. He felt silly, now. Until the feelings of his altercation with Snape came back to him and he felt a newfound rage. "I actually had a run-in with Snape just now."

Both of their faces furrowed in concern, as they urged him to continue without words. So, he told them. He vented everything. How Snape had given him not one detention, but  _two!_  How he had spoken ill of James and the fact that he was 'dead', as far as Snape knew. And how he had told Harry that he was the one responsible for so many deaths.

As soon as he had finished with that last one, both of his parents had blazing looks of fury on their faces.

Suddenly, his mum jumped up and out of view from the mirror, leaving only his dad.

"Mum?" He asked, his voice anxious for some reason.

He watched as his dad was craning his neck to watch her beyond the mirror, before he looked back at Harry with clueless eyes. "She went into the closet, Harry… She probably didn't want you to see her curse up a storm. Merlin knows I want to."

Harry nodded, still quite concerned, but pushed the feeling aside as he and his dad talked a tad bit more - mostly about how awful and slimy  _Snivellus_ was, before they said goodbye. And Harry went up the stairs to bed.

….

The lightning crackled and shook the entire castle, that one being closer than the first.

The storm had, quite honestly, come from nowhere.

He found himself curious about it for a mere moment, before he let his mind wander onto different things. Like how much he  _hated_ Potter.

After his encounter with the insufferable  _Potter_ and after Minerva had unceremoniously turned him away; Severus had chosen to walk the castle a bit more, hoping to find any other students that he could punish now that he couldn't punish  _Potter_ because of Minerva…

Unfortunately, he hadn't found anyone else out of bed, a fact that had served to sour his mood.

So, after cursing his terrible luck for the evening, Severus chose to retire to his chambers, which were connected to the inside connecting door from within his office.

When he approached his door, Severus took out the key and went to unlock it… only to find that his hold on the doorknob jiggled. Severus frowned as he tried twisting the doorknob, only to find that it was already unlocked.

" _I swear, Peeves…"_ He muttered under his breath as he pushed the dungeon door open, letting it crash against the back wall with a resounding thud.

Severus entered, and closed the door behind him. He stepped forward to the nearest candlestick, about to light it, before a dark shadow of a figure in the room caught his eye.

They stood, by the window, completely motionless.

From the size and height of the person, Severus immediately surmised that it was a student out of bed, who was apparently idiotic enough to break into  _his_ office.

"Who's there?" Severus sneered, abandoning his intent to light any candles as he faced the figure in the dark room. "It is after curfew, and you shall be  _severely_ punished for wandering about.  _Especially_ in  _my_ office."

Severus waited a long moment, only he didn't receive any answer. He let his eyes wander over the form of the offender that had broken into his office. And was shocked to see that the person was completely soaked, as water dripped down onto the floor from their long hair and clothing.

So, the student hadn't only been out of bed, but had also been wandering the grounds after hours?

This would serve to be extra punishment, if found to be true. And if it wasn't, he would have enough ground to still punish the student with the evidence he had now.

" _Well?"_ Severus snapped, getting impatient from their lack of answer.

For a moment, time passed slowly. Severus could simultaneously hear the ticking of the grandfather clock as well as their own breathing.

".. _.Why do you hate me, Severus?_ "

_**CRACK!** _

The sky once again illuminated with a split second of light… Just enough time for him to see the flash of wet, red hair that covered the majority of her face.

The room darkened once again… And all that could be heard were the breaths of air coming from the two sets of people. Her breathing seemed to be very calm at the moment, while Severus found himself hyperventilating.

"L- _Lily?_ "

"I believe that I asked you a question." She stated, her voice forceful. "Why do you hate me, Severus?"

Severus could barely comprehend the mere idea that she was in front of him at the moment, let alone her repeated question. " _H-Hate_  you…?"

The sky flashed with light yet again, and he was treated to another brief sight to her stunning, red hair.

The sky darkened before she responded again. " _Why?_  Why do you?"

Severus could only gape at her. Why was it she was asking him of this? Did she not know? Did she not see all that he had done  _because his love_  for her over the years? "L-Lily… I could never  _hate_ you. I  _love_ you."

Her shadow of a form shook its head as a mirthless laugh trickled out from her lips. The very lips that he had spent the last twenty or so years fantasizing about. "That couldn't  _possibly_ be true."

" _It is._ " Severus said firmly, imploringly.

He heard her scoff, as she turned her head to look out distantly through the window as another bolt of lightning came out through the sky. "Then why is it that you  _sully my memory_  by treating  _my only son_  the way that you do?"

" _LUMOS!"_

Severus' wand lit, just as he was taking strides forward to stand in front of her. Holding up the wand to illuminate her face… Lily lifted her chin, her beautiful face now revealed as her wet hair fell away from sticking to her cheeks. Her eyes were the same shade of green that he remembered. The same shade as when he used to admire them when they would sit by the pond by both of their houses when they were young, when there was laughter in her eyes.

There wasn't any trace of that mirth anywhere now, but he still searched for it in vain as he took in her pure beauty.

She hadn't aged a day since he had last seen her.

"Sweet Salazar…  _It is_  you." Severus breathed. " _How_  is this possible? How is it that  _you are here?_ "

Lily's eyes hardened. "Trust me. It wasn't from anything that  _you_ did."

She started to turn, meaning to stride away from him, but his hand automatically came forward and latched onto her arm.

She kept her eyes turned away from him as he took in the feeling of live flesh underneath his fingertips. The silky smoothness that just barely covered the ghost of the thudding pulse point beneath layers of skin. Severus gasped and felt his knees threaten to buckle underneath him as the air left his lungs. But he fought against the feeling, wanting - no -  _needing_ to stay conscious so that he could ensure that she didn't leave.

"Y-You're  _alive?_ " This had to all be a mere illusion. Either that, or Potter had somehow confunded him as he had turned his back earlier.

But in the deepest depths of his heart, he knew that not to be the case. Somehow, he knew that she was really here. Standing in front of him at last.

And if nothing else, her one word confirmed it for him.

"Yes." The word was simple, but to Severus, it meant the entire world.

"Were you always…?" He had to know. Had she been hidden away all these years? Did Dumbledore know but chose not to tell him? For loyalty, perhaps? But that still didn't explain her apparent youth...

"No." She stated again, her lips going into a thin line.

The realization hit Severus like a load of bricks. "Resurrection, then." He breathed. He hadn't posed it as a question, but rather a matter of fact.

His one true love had come back to life  _for him_. But the thought cut him short as he remembered… And he found that he just had to ask, desperately needing to know.

"I-Is  _Potter…_?"

Lily smirked. The expression didn't fit with the normally kind face that he remembered. " _James_  is alive and well. Sirius Black is, too. And they both send their regards…  _Snivellus_."

Severus' heart plummeted. And not just from the news that his two rivals were supposedly back from the early graves in which they belonged. But from the pure hatred that his Lily was looking at him with in that moment.

"What have I done to warrant you using that name for me?"

Lily's eyes went wide as she gaped at him in disbelief. "Are you  _daft?_ "

Severus frowned, deep lines forming on his forehead. After all that he had done for her, after all that he had sacrificed. How he had betrayed the Dark Lord and joined with Dumbledore to keep her safe. How he had looked after her son for her after she had died. How he had been a double agent ever since. He had thought that when he would see her next, in what he had thought to perhaps be the next life after this one, she would be  _thanking_ him for all that he had done.

Lily tugged her arm away from his grasp, and he reached forward to grab it again too late… as she got her wand pointed directly at his nose. A terrifying glower on her gorgeous face. "You've treated my son with nothing but  _disdain_ and  _hatred_ ever since you first saw him."

Surprise overcame him for a moment, before his trademark sneer came back with a vengeance. "Your son is as  _arrogant_ and  _spoiled_ as his  _father_."

He didn't even hear her cast the curse. But he felt the effects. A long, red cut slashed across his cheek. She had used his own curse against him. It wasn't deep. Just enough to draw a few drops of blood, but Severus felt as though she had slapped him.

"That's where you are lying to yourself,  _Snape_." Lily spat, her face flushed with fury. "You knew that Harry was sent to live with Petunia. You knew how she was like. How much she  _hated_ magic. How she hated  _me_ because I am magical. You  _knew_ how she would treat him. Yet, you  _still_ accuse him of being spoiled and arrogant? If anything, Severus, you are  _delusional_."

There was nothing for him to say to that. He did know how Petunia would treat Potter. It was precisely the reason why he had chosen not to warn Dumbledore about her when the Headmaster had decided to place Potter with her and her muggle husband.

He had thought that the child deserved it.  _Especially_ after he was the cause of his own mother's death.

Lily eyed him, daring him to say anything to contradict her statement. Before she continued on to say, "And apparently, you are delusional in more ways than one. Because you still see James as the little boy who was a bully and liked to torment you and other Slytherins. When you fail to see him as the man who has grown up and had actually  _risked his life_ to save yours."

Blood drained from Severus' cheeks as she brought up what he referred to as ' _the incident'._  She  _knew_ about that? Potter had  _told her?!_

Severus had long tried to forget about his run-in with Lupin in his werewolf form when he had still been in school. Black had tricked him by getting him down to the shrieking shack. But, of course,  _Potter_ had to  _play hero._

Apparently, it had all been just so he could go tell Lily at the first opportunity that he had saved his mortal enemy from certain death… Like the deceitful, conniving  _tosser_  he was.

" _YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO END UP WITH ME!"_  Snape yelled, unable to think of any other argument other than that. Because it was the one thing that he saw a pure unadulterated fact. " _I'M THE ONE WHO HAS LOVED YOU MORE THAN ANYONE! CERTAINLY MORE THAN POTTER!"_

Lily didn't even flinch at the sheer volume that he threw at her, nor did his words seem to have any effect.

"What you feel for me isn't love, Severus. It's obsession." Lily retorted, a hard line in her tone as she finally lowered her wand arm. "And even if it hadn't been James, then it would have been someone else. But certainly never you."

Severus' eyes widened, looking at her with disbelief.

" _What?_ " Lily continued, her voice had an edge of condescension. "Did you  _really_ think that I could just force myself to be attracted to just anyone? Love doesn't work that way, Severus. I have  _never_ looked at you in that way. Even when we were friends. The attraction was never there."

"No…" Severus whispered, his voice clearly displaying his denial. "That's  _a lie_. You've had to  _at least_  used to feel something for me…!"

This couldn't be happening. How many times had he envisioned seeing her again, and just taking her into his arms, telling her how much he loved her? How many times had he clearly seen her returning his affections? She  _had_  to feel  _an inkling_  of what she felt for him. He couldn't have just created it all in his head.

His eyes searched desperately to find a flicker of that feeling within her deep, green eyes.

"That's true. I did used to feel something for you…"

Severus' expression started to soften slightly, the tightening in his chest started to loosen...

"...and what I felt for you was  _pity_." His heart shattered and dropped to the pit of his stomach. "When I saw you, Severus, all that I saw was a boy who had a difficult life. And I wanted to help that boy… to be that boy's friend. But somewhere along the way, the boy decided that he didn't  _want_ any help. The boy started to delve into the Dark Arts… The boy started to spend time with known  _Death Eaters_ , and eventually became one himself… The boy… called his only true friend - the one person who looked out for and protected the boy - a  _mudblood_."

"But,  _Lily!_ " He made to grab her hand again, but she was too quick, stepping back from within his reach. "You  _know_ that I didn't mean it, and-"

"No,  _Severus_." Lily cut him off, holding up her hand, her hand keeping him from stepping any closer. " _No_."

When he paused, she took a deep, steadying breath. "There may be a chance that you actually mean that. That you didn't mean to call me a mudblood. But the intention was still there. Even if you accepted me as a muggleborn, you still wouldn't accept every other muggleborn. Because you see yourself as above them. Above  _us_. You say that you love me… but you still hate those who are exactly what  _I_  am. Muggleborns. I've seen how you treat muggleborn students as lesser than the pure-bloods and even the half-bloods. How can you claim to love me but hate what I am?"

Again, he had no solidified answer. At least not in any words. All that he knew was in his heart, there  _was_ a difference between her and all the other mudbloods.

Because despite how Lily was born and where she came from, she was still just as pure as any other pureblood.

"I know a way that I can prove my love for you." He said, in a rash and desperate sounding voice, before he reached out again, managed to grab her wrist, and tugged her closer.

She was pressed up against his chest now. So close that he could feel her soaked clothing through the thickness of his robe. He leaned his head down, closing the distance between his lips and hers…

" _Petrificus Totalus!"_  She cried out, just as his lips came a mere inch away from her own.

His whole body stiffened as tight as a wooden board before he fell back against the ground.

She stood over him, glaring at him with every ounce of hatred that he had given to both Potters over his lifetime.

"You leave  _my son_  and my family alone." She threatened through clenched teeth. She stood over him menacingly with her wand still pointed. "And just know, that this is the last time that you will ever see me. And it will be as I look at you as nothing but the slime that you are."

Then, she left his field of vision. Severus tried desperately to cry out. He moved his eyes as far as they could look out of the corner of his eyes, trying to extend his last look of her. Until, he couldn't see her any longer. He could only sit, and listen to the movements she made in despair.

With one last creak of the door that she opened, Lily paused. "Goodbye, Severus."

The door slammed shut just as another bolt of lightning burst forth from the sky. The thunder shaking the grounds as his heart shattered.

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	47. Chapter 47

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Chapter Forty-Seven

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"Now, if the Hufflepuff chasers come up from underneath the rings, you'll already be guarding the bottom rings." Harry explained to Ron as he levitated his quill as a mock example of the Hufflepuff chasers while Ron levitated his own quill to represent himself as keeper in front of levitating rings.

They were sitting in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, waiting for Snape to arrive and for the class to start.

"But if they come from above…" He moved his quill upward slightly by flicking his wand. "You'll be able to see it coming better as you'll have a clearer view of all angles of attack. And not only that, it will be easier for you to shoot upwards to block the quaffle if they aim for the upper hoops."

Ron was nodding eagerly as Harry explained his new strategy for Ron to use during the next game they had against Hufflepuff. "Bloody brilliant, mate!"

Harry grinned at his best mate, before it turned mischievous and he shot his levitated quill forward to attack Ron's.

"Oy!" Ron exclaimed, before he retaliated, shooting his quill to hit with Harry's.

And it wasn't long then before they were having a sword fight with their own quills midair, and they were laughing like children. Splatters of ink shot out from the tips of their quills, and some got on the skin of their hands.

That is, until Hermione came into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and plopped her large pile of books down on the table next to Ron. She looked over to watch what they were doing for a mere second, before she rolled her eyes at the pair of them.

"Boys…" She muttered to herself, but didn't seem to care about the fact that both Harry and Ron could hear her. "Honestly. I wish that Ginny was in our classes with us."

Harry paused with his quill fighting with Ron as he looked over him at Hermione.

"You and me both. But if you were hoping that she would be more on your side of things, I beg to differ." Harry said with a growing grin that tickled the corners of his lips. "Ginny would probably want to join in on things like quill-fighting."

Ron laughed heartily in agreement, slapping Harry on the back in a jovial manner.

Hermione rolled her eyes once again but she also had a little smile gracing her lips, as she looked over at Harry with a knowing gaze. "You seem to be much more confident in your relationship with her now, Harry. As comfortable as Ron and I are together."

As she said this, she went to link one arm with Ron's as she rested her bushy-haired head on his shoulder, though her eyes were still boring into Harry's in a self-satisfied way. As though she had predicted years ago that Harry and Ginny would become a couple.

In fact, as Harry thought on it, she probably did.

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but was cut short by Ron's derivative, half-amused snort. "Don't be daft, Hermione. There's no way Harry and Ginny are as comfortable as we are."

The implication in Ron's words were loud and clear. He was referring to the fact that he and Hermione had been… intimate - Harry still shuddered at the thought - while Harry and Ginny haven't been.

Despite this truth, Harry's face still turned scarlet as he thought of all of the things that Ron didn't know…

Like all of Harry's visits to the fifth-year girl's dormitory, for example.

Or the fact that he and Ginny have slept in the same bed together in more than one occasion.

Then, there was the most recent situation with Ginny feeling Harry's erection through his trousers when she sat on his lap at the Quidditch match. And how she didn't seem at all disgusted by it - a mystery that still plagued and confused Harry.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed as she shot up in her seat and backhanded the shoulder she had just been resting on.

"Oy!" Ron cried out, looking at his girlfriend in a put-out manner. "What was that for?"

But Hermione hadn't been able to respond, a fact that Harry was mightily grateful for. He didn't much fancy hearing his two best mates bicker over his sex-life… or rather, lack thereof.

Instead, Harry was ironically saved from further embarrassment by Snape - who had burst through the door with his robes billowing behind him, as per usual.

Without saying a single word, Snape flicked his wand at the board and the instructions for the class appeared on the board.

Then, Snape merely sat at his desk, staring at nothing of significance.

Everyone stared at him in alarm. Usually, he would be barking orders by now or taking points from Gryffindor.

Instead he said nothing.

He did nothing.

He merely sat.

Slowly, scattered students from around the classroom started to follow the instructions on the board. Taking out their DADA books, they turned to the page assigned to them and started to read the passage on the theory of the new defensive spell they were about to start learning soon.

The entire class went by in total silence. Save for the ticking of the clock on the wall, the sound of pages turning in books, and everyone's breathing.

Every once in a while everyone would curiously sneak glances up at their sniveling professor, before they would fearfully cast their eyes back downwards to their books. The new behavior that Snape was displaying was having everyone on edge.

But not Harry.

He didn't even bother to pretend to read the text in the book. He had already learned the spell they were set to learn. In fact, he was planning on teaching the very same spell to the D.A. in the next couple of weeks, since Snape never did a good enough job in making sure that everyone knew how to cast and perform the spells he taught.

Instead, he was glaring at Snape with all of his might. Merlin, he couldn't stand the git. After speaking to his father the other night, and how they had spent some time sharing in their bond of how much they hated Snape, Harry honestly couldn't see any redeeming qualities within the man - if he could even be called that.

The man was a bully. To children. For over a decade.

Sure, he may have some qualms with his father, who had also been a bully to Snape when they were children… But that still didn't excuse the fact that his father had grown up and had grown past that. His dad had even gone out on a limb and saved Snape from Moony.

But Snape… Snape seemed to be permanently set in his ways. Forever fixated on what had happened in the past. And used James Potter as a crutch to excuse his miserable behavior towards everyone else. Including innocent first-year students.

Harry honestly didn't even understand why Dumbledore trusted him so much. Enough for him to be kept around. Especially since Snape used to be a Death Eater.

Why exactly hadn't he gone to Azkaban? Sure, Dumbledore had vouched for him, but he had still committed Death Eater crimes!

But it was too late to get into all of that… he had already been cleared of all charges ages ago. Funny how Snape had been allowed to walk free when Sirius hadn't even been given a proper trial. Goes to show how messed up the Wizarding government really was.

Just thinking all of this made Harry hate him even more.

Then, in the next moment, Snape's eyes moved from staring aimlessly at the far wall to looking right at him.

Harry found himself slightly startled at the sudden change of movement from him, before he continued to glare.

But while Snape would normally glare right back and bark at him about lost points from Gryffindor, detentions, or how much Harry was like his 'glory-seeking' father, he merely stared back at him. With nothing but a blank emptiness in his eyes.

It was eerie.

So much so, that Harry felt the he had to look away. So, he looked down and finally focused on the text before him. But for the entirety of the rest of his class, he felt the empty gaze boring into the top of his bowed head.

When the class bell finally rang, Harry actually let out a sigh of relief. Before he quickly went about gathering his things together on the table.

"Mr. Potter," Snape drawled, before Harry even had the chance to stand fully from his seat. Harry looked up, pure loathing in his eyes as he stared at the greasy git. " _A_   _word_ …"

Ron and Hermione had paused beside him, looking between Snape and Harry with concern in their eyes.

Harry simply nodded to them, letting them know that he would be fine and that he would catch up with them later. But their look of concern reminded him that he still hadn't told anyone about his meeting with Dumbledore the night before. And that he needed to find the time to tell them about Voldemort and the horcruxes.

He reasoned that he would find time to tell them later as they walked hesitantly out of the room, looking back at him with worry in their eyes.

Harry watched them go until they were out the door and he could no longer see them. Then, he finally turned his attention to Snape, who had been suspiciously patient throughout the entire silent exchange.

Harry didn't make any move to go forward to stand in front of Snape's desk. He stayed put in the middle aisle between the two rows of desks. He didn't want to get any closer to the greasy git if he could help it.

Snape didn't seem at all bothered by this. In fact, he didn't seem fazed by anything in particular at all. Instead, he merely leaned forward in his seat and folded his pale and bony hands on the desk in front of him.

"Mr. Potter," Snape started in an empty tone of voice. "I had wanted to discuss the detentions that I had assigned to you last night…"

Harry nearly scoffed out loud, snorting internally. Of course it was about the dentitions from last night. Snape was sure to never forget of any opportunity to punish Harry.

"...and I had wanted to inform you of my decision to rescind the assignment of them."

The glare fell from Harry's face as shock replaced it, his jaw dropping.

"W-What? I-"

"You may go." Snape said in a monotone dismissal of him. It was clear that he had no interest in discussing anything further with him and that he very clearly wanted Harry to now leave.

Harry turned, shock still stiffening his body, and walked to the door. He paused at the doorway and turned to look back at Snape…

What he saw was a broken man who had his head bowed over, resting in his hands in what Harry could only describe to be as pure anguish.

He left quickly after.

….

"He was acting really weird, dad," Harry revealed privately to him through the compact mirror. It was well after curfew and Harry was talking exclusively to his father through the mirror as Harry hid behind the silencing charms on his bed curtains. "He was all quiet and sick looking. And he took away my detentions! He would never do that!"

James had listened attentively as Harry recounted everything about his strange encounter with Snape. And Harry couldn't help but see that his father looked confused as well.

But any sort of confusion still wouldn't stop James Potter's humor.

His dad chuckled, a tense, vindictive undertone to the laugh. "Sounds to me like someone had finally put the fear of death into dear, old Snivellus."

Harry finally cracked a smile. "I  _wish_ …"

"Try not to let him bother you, Harry. A person like Snape looks for reasons to be miserable and wants everyone around them to be just as miserable as they are. If you give in to that, you are giving them exactly what they want."

Harry pondered this. "I've never thought of it in that way, before."

James grinned cockily, his hazel eyes beaming with self-pride. "See? Your old man knows some things."

Snorting, Harry rolled his eyes. "No one could ever call you  _old_ , dad. If we walked down the street in muggle London together, people would think that you were my older brother."

"One of the perks to resurrection, I'd say. How does it feel to have a foxy, young dad?"

Harry started laughing, his free arm going around his abdomen in an effort to hold himself together. " _Groovy_ , dad. Very groovy."

James joined in on his laughter and it took them a moment to settle down from it. When they did, they both let out a satisfied sigh.

"How's mum?" Harry finally asked, breaking in to the brief, content silence.

At the question, his dad's jovial mood plummeted slightly, and he donned a look of worry. "She's been quiet all day, actually. Mostly staring off into the distance and not making any conversation. I think that she may be coming down with something…"

At hearing this, Harry's heart constricted slightly as instantaneous worry overcame him. "Is she going to be alright?"

James, however, waved off his concern immediately "Ah, she'll be alright. She's the strongest person that I know, besides you."

Now, along with his heart, his throat now constricted at the genuine compliment that his father praised him with. His dad really thought that Harry was the strongest person that he knew?

When Harry's eyes started to prick with unshed tears, he attempted to hide it. But his dad noticed. He only chose not to say anything. Just merely smiled at Harry in a prideful manner before he attempted to change the subject.

"I just saw the magazine article about you and Ginny in Witch Weekly…" James commented, in what Harry knew was an attempt to be casual.

At the reminder of that bloody article, Harry's mood soured. "Yeah, Ginny wasn't too happy with what it said about her, not that I can blame her. And I had to go and make it all worse by telling her that it was all probably for the best that people didn't know how much I care about her."

His dad looked visibly surprised before a look of understanding came over his face. "How did she take you saying that?"

Harry shook his head tiredly.

"How do you think? I basically told her that I was alright with smearing her reputation so long as it keeps her safe. She was put out with me for an entire day before she went on acting as though everything was normal." Harry sighed again, sweeping a rough hand through his hair. "I honestly don't deserve her. People have been treating her differently since the article, and she takes it all like a champ. And to make matters worse, Mrs. Weasley seems to think that we are engaged after she saw the picture in the article of Ginny and I snogging…"

James' eyes got very wide and his jaw dropped for a mere moment, before a boisterous laugh escaped him and it wasn't long before he was wheezing for breath.

Harry's face got hot and he was sure it was a Weasley red at this point. "I-It's not  _funny!"_

James continued to laugh, but he still managed to get some words through his gasps for breath. "Of course it is! You're having in-law problems when you don't even have in-laws! That is hilarious!"

His dad continued to laugh before Harry huffed, annoyed, "Are we not going to get back to the problem that I have?"

It took another moment, but finally, James Potter's laughter died down. "Ok, alright. What's this problem you want to discuss?"

Now that he finally had his father's attention, Harry wasn't sure about how to broach the issue that had been plaguing his mind for weeks now. He worried his bottom lip in-between his teeth as he thought of how to best phrase the coming words to his dad.

"You don't think that I should distance myself from Ginny, do you?" Harry said finally. "To make sure that she stays safe?"

James' eyes got very wide with surprise.  _"Merlin, no!_  What good would that do? Everyone already knows that you've got a close bond with the Weasleys. They are already regarded as well-known blood-traitors by the Death Eaters."

Harry sighed from either exasperation that no one seemed to get how serious he was about Ginny's safety or relief that his father was talking him out of distancing himself from Ginny.

"There's… There's something else…" This was it. What he was about to discuss was the primary reason he wanted to talk to his dad alone. His mum wouldn't get it, at all, and would probably get quite angry with him. But his dad… he would see reason with what Harry was about to say.

"What is it?" James asked, a slight tinge of alarm colouring his tone.

Harry swallowed, wondering at how he would be able to get this out without giving too much away. "Well, Dumbledore has been telling me about Voldemort's past all year long, so far. And… And we've been brainstorming ideas on how we can defeat him."

James' jaw dropped open in shock, his face going pale. "He's… He's  _been what?!"_

His mother would have been screaming at this point. Cursing Dumbledore for involving Harry in this way.

"You have to see reason, dad!" Harry interjected quickly, before James got worked up over the fact that Dumbledore was involving his sixteen-year old son in plans of defeating the darkest and most powerful wizards of this age. "We both know the prophecy. I will get involved no matter what. Dumbledore is just trying to prepare me for what is to come."

Colour started coming back to his father's cheeks, and much to Harry's relief, his father didn't explode with rage as he had been expecting. Instead, after hearing what Harry had to say, his dad actually looked to be resigned.

James sighed, his shoulders drooping in what looked to be defeat. Harry could only imagine what it felt like to be a father that had to accept that his only son had to fight the most dangerous dark lord in the entire world. "I still don't like it."

His father's voice was quiet, which was completely unlike his normal character.

It just showed Harry how much the prophecy had weighed down on his dad since he had first heard it back when Harry was still a baby.

"To be fair," Harry said in just as quiet of a voice, "I don't much like it either. But I've accepted it as my fate. And I want to be as prepared as possible."

His dad said nothing. Didn't even move for a long moment. Until, finally, he nodded his head in resignation. "I suppose I should be glad that you even have this time to prepare…"

Harry didn't know what to say in return. He merely swallowed the large lump that had formed in his throat as they each fell into their own separate, deep thoughts.

It ended up being a lot more difficult for Harry to talk about this with his dad than he originally thought. But there was still more that he needed his advice on...

"I'm not sure if I want to share any of this with Ginny…" Harry admitted, feeling ashamed in the fact that he was admitting to wanting to keep secrets from the girl that he loved. And also in the fact that he wanted confirmation from his father that this would be the right thing to do. "I know Ginny… anything I tell her about Voldemort would only motivate her. Put her right in the middle of the coming war. She wouldn't hesitate in fighting. And I'm afraid that it will ultimately kill her. And… And I was wondering if that makes me a terrible person who doesn't trust her."

James thought about this. "What makes you think that she would be motivated to fight?"

"Look at the incident at the Department of Mysteries, last year," Harry pointed out. "She didn't hesitate in following me to fight, even when she knew that Voldemort and Death Eaters were involved."

"That's a good point."

That was all that he said and Harry grunted out in frustration, racking a rough hand through his already unruly hair. "Do you think I should tell her?"

James looked to be contemplating this, before his features softened. "We all have secrets, Harry. And this secret will be protecting the one that you love. And besides that point, Ginny wouldn't be much help in the war simply because of her age and the fact that she will have the trace on her for another year and a half now. It's best that she doesn't get motivated and reveal herself in a dire situation."

Harry was silent as he contemplated this. His father's words made sense and made him feel better in his own reasonings.

"Now, besides that point, I think that we should apply the same logic to you as well, Harry."

This caused Harry's attention to snap to his father, and he opened his mouth to protest, "But, dad-"

"No, just listen to me, Harry," His dad said in an abnormally stern voice. "You still have the trace on you for eight more months. Preparing and training with Dumbledore is fine in the meantime, because as much as I don't want you anywhere near Voldemort, I recognize that the bloody prophecy is going to involve you anyways. And I want you to be prepared. But please, if the war happens to break out before your seventeenth birthday, don't get involved. It would just be plain stupid, Harry, same as it would be with Ginny getting involved as well before she turns seventeen."

"But what if the war does break out? You know that Voldemort will be searching for me…"

"You'll go into hiding," James answered simply. "You won't do any magic until your birthday and you'll let the Order hold things off until you are ready to join in on the fight."

"Because going into hiding worked _so well_  the last time for our family…" Harry grumbled, bitterly, before instant regret overcame him for his words.

He peeked up at his dad, and saw that his father actually looked hurt by his words. "We did the best that we could to protect you, Harry…"

"I know," Harry said hurriedly, still feeling the regret from his words. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

James sighed before he looked back at Harry with a slight smile on his face, and Harry knew that he was instantly forgiven. "It's alright. Besides, we now know better about who we can trust this time around. And we won't be using the fidelius charm this time either…"

Harry's eyebrow quirked in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

James grinned, and there was a bit of pride in his voice as he spoke. "Your mother found a spell to use on Potter Manor. No one can enter the premises without Potter blood. Which means that only you and I can come and go freely from the manor. Not even your mum can. She married into the family, so not even she can enter without Potter blood."

Harry's expression must have looked confused because his father laughed at his expression. "Then how is she in the house right now? And Sirius and Remus too, for that matter?"

"I have to actively bring them through the blood wards, myself. It gets bloody old really quick, being the only one that is able to get people in and out as they please, but it keeps us all safe."

They talked about lighter subjects after that, until it came to the point where Harry could barely keep his eyes open and they bid each other goodnight…

Where Harry slipped into the darkness where nightmares of his loved ones dying met him.

….

The next day, Harry was exhausted. But he was used to the feeling now. And he had managed to adjust his own body to ignore the cry out for the sleep that it needed.

He had gotten pretty good at it.

In fact, he found himself in good spirits.

On the bulletin board, there had been an announcement on the board for a Hogsmeade weekend coming up. And he wanted more than anything to go to Hogsmeade with Ginny.

Which was what he was doing in between class periods. Looking for his ginger firecracker so that he can ask her out on a date.

He had only been looking for a minute or so, but the lack of red hair in his sight was making him more and more antsy.

Until, finally...

 _"Ginny!"_  Harry called out as he started down the corridor after her. She stopped at the sound of her name - Colin pausing next to her - and looked back at him with a growing smile.

She waited as Harry caught up to her and as soon as he did, he pulled her into his arms and pulled her to him, lifting her up slightly as he breathed in her flowery scent. Merlin, she smelled just like amortentia to him.

He let her down and pulled back slightly to peer down at her. "Hey, you."

Ginny rolled her eyes at him, mockingly, probably due to the fact at how cheesy he sounded when he said that. Harry didn't let it discourage him, however, as he continued to beam down at her. And before she could form her own greeting to him, Harry continued.

"There's a Hogsmeade day coming up this weekend. I don't know if you saw the announcement on the board in the common room, but I was wondering if you wanted to go. With me. Just us. Alone."

Ginny beamed, her entire face lightening with a newfound wave of excitement. "You mean a date?"

Harry rolled his eyes at her and snarkily replied, "No, just as friends. Of course a date! Our very first, to be exact."

"After that response, I'm tempted to say no." Ginny said dryly as she peeked over at Colin, who was silently laughing at the exchange. "In fact, I wonder if Malfoy would be able to go, instead? Since he looked so dashing in that dress… wouldn't you agree, Harry?"

Harry's smile fell from his face. That was a low blow… and the minx knew it!

"I'd kill him." Harry said forcefully, but not in such a way that it came across that he didn't know that she was kidding.

But Ginny merely laughed as she came forward to peck him sweetly on the cheek, aware that they were in a corridor full of students. "That's just what we need… another claiming deul for my own hand."

Harry found himself melting as he wrapped his arms around her and looked down at her. When she peered up at him, he waggled his eyebrows and smirked at her. "Well, maybe this go around, I'll actually get to be the one that gets to do the claiming. Since you  _did_  take my spot against Dean the last time."

Ginny's eyes blazed. "Too right, I did! Now, if you'll excuse me, Colin and I have classes to get to."

Then she walked away, Colin trailing beside her. And Harry watched her go, his eyes following the sashay of her hips go back and forth as she walked… before he suddenly remembered himself.

"So is that a yes or a no?" Harry called after her.

She paused, and looked over her shoulder at him with a saucy smirk. "What do  _you_  think, Mr. Potter?"

Then she winked.

The little  _minx!_

Harry watched, dumbfounded, as she started to walk away again.

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Remember to leave me a review!

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	48. Chapter 48

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Chapter Forty-Eight

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Harry sat at the table, flipping through the pages of his text. It was his free period, and he was spending it in the library, trying to catch up on some of his studies, seeing as he couldn't spend this time with Ginny… who was in class at the current moment. But his plan to catch up on his studies had quickly been abandoned in favour of reading notes from the 'Half Blood Prince'.

The sudden bang of heavy textbooks hitting the table next to him startled him from his search. He looked up to see Hermione, staring at him with a very disapproving look. "Still looking through the Half-Blood Prince's book?"

Harry rolled his eyes at her, and resumed his search through the pages of texts. "Yes, Mione. But don't worry, I'm not looking for anything that  _you_ would disapprove of. I'm just looking for the potion recipe for a Dreamless Sleep potion."

At this, Hermione visibly softened as she sat in the open chair next to him. "Still having nightmares?"

Harry stopped his perusal of the text as he closed his eyes and nodded, tiredly.

"Are they normal nightmares? Or- _Or is it Voldemort?_ " She whispered the last part, and Harry looked all around them to make sure that no one was listening in on their conversation.

He turned his attention back to Hermione and minutely shook his head. "Nothing like that, and no, it's not 'normal' nightmares, either."

His tone implied that he didn't much want to expand further on the subject, but Hermione - being the person she is - became even more insistent.

"What are they about, then?"

Harry looked up at her again, exasperated.

"I don't want to talk about it, Mione. It-It, oh,  _never mind_." Harry closed his book, telling himself that he would look later for the potion recipe.

Hermione sighed dejectedly. "I'm sorry I pushed. I don't mean to…"

Harry hummed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her bite her lip. "I can brew the potion for you, if you like. You've got enough on your plate as it is…"

Harry looked over to her, surprised. "Really?"

Hermione smiled softly and nodded, seemingly pleased that she had managed to get him out of his sour mood.

"That-That would be  _great_ , Mione. I would really appreciate it."

Hermione nodded and took his hand that rested on the desk in hers, squeezing it tight. "Of course. And Harry…?"

Harry tilted his head quizzically, indicating that he was listening.

"You… You know that Ron and I, we will always be here for you to talk to. I know that we are a couple now, and things may get weird or awkward. But… I guess I just don't want the friendship between all of us to change, despite that. We used to tell each other everything. I know that you are entitled to your own secrets, but I just want you to know that you don't  _have to_  keep them from us."

Harry turned his whole body towards her in his chair, visibly surprised. "Of course, Hermione. I never thought anything different. Even though things are changing, and we are all growing up, I still see you and Ron as the two people that have stuck by me though it all… especially at the most difficult times."

In fact, this conversation reminded him that he needed to have a private conversation with both Ron and Hermione later...

Tears of happiness started to well in Hermione's eyes and she gathered Harry into her arms. "Oh Harry… I feel the same. And I know for a fact that Ron does too. You've made our lives quite the adventure, haven't you? Before, I couldn't even imagine getting into all the trouble that you've gotten us into!"

Harry laughed, good-naturedly, as he pulled away. "I don't find trouble, trouble always finds me."

Laughing as well, Hermione replied, "Truer words have never been spoken, Mr. Potter."

Harry grinned over at her for a mere moment, before his expression darkened and became quite serious as he remembered the next adventure he was bound to go on, soon…

"Hermione…" Harry started, his voice level and cautious. "Speaking of secrets, I need to talk to you and Ron about something really important."

Hermione's eyes got really wide as she took in the severity of the situation through Harry's demeanor.

" _What is it?_ " She whispered, her voice strained.

Harry looked all around, seeing a few students several feet away, before he turned his eyes back to her and minutely shook his head. "Not here."

Hermione nodded, looking quite serious. "Later?"

Harry nodded, his eyes going down to stare a hole into his potions' book.

"Where?" Hermione pressed, starting to catch on to the fact that she should be acting casual, as well.

"Tonight. The 'Come and Go' room." He answered.

Of those who knew of the Room of Requirement, few knew of it by that name.

Hermione nodded, and they fell into silence. Hermione's thoughts full of curiosity and expectations for the worst, and Harry's filled with the burden of what was to come.

…...

Ron stood, pacing back and forth so much to the point where Harry thought for a fact that he would wear a hole in the carpet floor of the Room of Requirement.

Ron paused his pacing, looked over at Harry with a desperate sort of look in his eyes. "And you're sure that he split his soul  _seven_ times?"

Harry sighed. It was the fourth time Ron had asked him this since Harry had finished telling them about the horcruxes. Harry was used to this sort of reaction from his two best friends. They usually questioned every detail about whatever problem it was that Harry told them before they would finally come to accept it.

"Yes, Ron," Harry stated once again. "That's what Dumbledore said."

"But how do you know for sure?"

Harry turned towards Hermione, who had voiced the question from the chair by the fireplace. It was the first thing that she had said since before Harry told them everything, and Harry couldn't help but notice how pale her face was at the moment.

"We saw it in Slughorn's memory. He wanted to create seven of them…"

Hermione's wide, fearful eyes turned sceptical as her eyebrows furrowed. "But why? Why seven?"

Harry scoffed slightly as he leaned back in his own chair. "Hermione, you know as well as anyone that seven is a magical number."

As they had been speaking, Ron had started to pace once again, his thumb up to his mouth as he chewed absentmindedly on the nail - a strategic craze to the gleam of his eyes as he thought.

Harry went back to watching the both of them as they worked through the monumental information that Harry had just told them.

When Ron suddenly spun on the spot, facing Harry with an accusatory expression on his face. "You didn't tell Ginny, did you?" He demanded, his face getting flushed.

"Yes, er," The sudden mention of Ginny's name had caught Harry off guard. "I mean,  _no…_ I didn't. I - well, just want her to  _stay_ safe."

Ron eyed him up and down, before he nodded once in approval. "Good."

"How is that good?" Hermione said, as she sat forward in an agitated manner. "You shouldn't be keeping secrets from Ginny, Harry."

Harry scowled at her, feeling a sort of red heat start to blossom in his chest. "You know  _what else_  isn't good? Telling Ginny about the horcruxes, which causes Ginny to get motivated and put herself right in the middle of things."

Hermione frowned right back at him, crossing her arms. It seems that she had gotten over her fear of the horcruxes in favour of trying to tell Harry her opinion of him as a boyfriend. "I think that it's Ginny's decision on whether or not she wants to get involved, not yours."

Harry raised one eyebrow at her as he crossed his own arms. "But what good will that do, anyways? She'll have the trace on her for another year and a half."

This seemed to do the trick, as his answer stunned Hermione into silence for a beat. "I… I hadn't thought of that… But-"

"No buts, Hermione." Harry interrupted, a fierce, protective gleam in his eyes. "If you tell her anything about the horcruxes, then I'll have a hard time forgiving you.  _Especially_ if Ginny got hurt because of it."

It looked for a moment that Hermione was going to argue against this. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but no contradiction against Harry ever passed her lips. Hermione's shoulders sagged in defeat, and in a small voice, said, "Alright, then… I won't tell her."

Ron stepped closer to Hermione, sitting on the arm rest of the couch and put a comforting arm around her shoulder, squeezing her close. And though Ron agreed with Harry on the matter, he still sent Harry a peeved look at upsetting Hermione.

Harry winced slightly under the blaring look, remembering how unnecessarily harsh his words were.

"Sorry, Mione…"

Hermione sighed. "No, it's alright. I didn't think about the trace before. But it makes sense for why you want Ginny out of the fight."

They were all silent after that. Each stuck in their own thoughts of horcruxes, the oncoming war, Ginny, their other friends and families…

"So…" Ron finally spoke up to the quiet room, causing both Harry and Hermione to jump. "What's the plan then?"

Harry looked at him confused, so Ron sighed and explained further. "You  _know…_? What's the plan to destroying these horcrux things so we can defeat You-Know-Who?"

Awareness touched Harry's eyes for a moment, once he figured out what Ron had been asking, before he shrugged. "Dumbledore is working out a plan."

Both Ron and Hermione sighed in relief at that, and Harry couldn't blame them.

So long as they had Dumbledore on their side, everything would be alright.

…..

When Harry finally opened his eyes to the dim, morning light glowing through the Gryffindor tower window, he had simply laid there in mindless bliss - his mind not yet receptive and trying to process his newfound wakefulness.

Before awareness caught up to him, and with a start, he realized that he actually slept  _past_ dawn!

Harry sat up, racking his mind to remember whether he had a nightmare the night before or not, and was beaming when he discovered that he hadn't!

Harry grinned as a sudden tightness in his chest loosened in relief. Perhaps, it was over and done with.

But that wasn't the only thing for him to be excited about that Saturday morning.

Today, was a Hogsmeade day. And he was officially going to take Ginny on their very first date together.

And Merlin, if he wasn't bloody  _excited_ by the fact!

The only other date that he had gone on was the disastrous date that he had with Cho to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop... And his date with Ginny was bound to go much better than that.

He was already sure that Ginny wouldn't want to go to Madam Puddifoot's, so it was already better in just that simple regard, as far as Harry was concerned.

And besides that, he and Ginny got on way better than he had Cho ever did.

Ginny was his best friend, who just so happened to also be the love of his life.

He was certain that by the end of the day, Harry would have a stomach cramp from all of the laughter the day was sure to bring.

Perhaps, they could even find a private place to have a good snog.

A randy grin stretched across his face as he got up to get ready for the day.

…

"Would you stop fidgeting?" Ron said as Harry once again ran a hand through his mussed up hair. "You're making  _me_ nervous…"

Harry paused, with his fingers still in his hair, before he lowered his arm altogether. "I'm not nervous. Just anxious, I guess."

They were waiting in line at the Hogwarts front gate for Ginny and Hermione to show up. They had promised that they would wait in line for a carriage for all of them to share. But Harry was adamant that once they got to Hogsmeade, that both pairs would split their ways. He had promised Ginny a date where they got to be alone, and he was keen on delivering on that promise. Especially since he already felt so guilty for keeping secrets from her...

"Yeah, alright." Ron said, dismissively as a gust of cold December wind blew past them, causing both of them to shiver violently. "The girls better hurry up before we have to give up our place in line…"

Harry shivered again as he pulled his red Gryffindor scarf further up his neck. "Yeah, I wonder what's keeping the-"

"Wait," Ron interrupted as he pointed towards the two figures in the crowd of scattered students loitering about. "Here they come now."

Harry turned to where he was pointing, and as soon as he saw her, he lost his breath.

_Merlin_ , she looked so magnificent. Even bundled up the way she was.

She was wearing an old, green, moth-eaten looking winter cloak with a dark, grey winter hat. Her tendrils of red waves blew with the chilly wind, which caused Ginny to shiver violently, but Harry had never seen someone who looked so cold look  _so hot_ at the same time.

His prick in his trousers twitched with interest as he saw her approach towards him with a wide smile on her lips.

Suddenly, he didn't feel so cold anymore.

Ginny ran the rest of the way towards Harry, and he opened his arms as she ran into them. "Harry!" She exclaimed, excitedly.

Harry caught her easily and chuckled along with her giggles as he held her. He pulled back his head to look down at her for a mere moment, taking a bit of time to admire the brightness in her warm, chocolate eyes, before he leaned his face down to meet hers.

Their lips connected and immediately ignited in a dance of moving flesh. But before Harry could even deepen the kiss by getting their tongues involved, a rude and violent sounding cough caused them to jump a part.

"Oy!" Ron exclaimed, as he glared at the two of them. "I may approve of the two of you being together, but that doesn't mean that I fancy watching the two of you snog!"

A redness crept onto Harry's cheeks. In all honesty, as soon as he had seen Ginny, he had forgotten that Ron was even there…

But Ginny didn't seem at all bothered, grasping tighter to her hold on Harry's arm as she smirked haughtily at her brother. "Who said you had to watch, ickle Ronnikins?"

Ron's face became very red as he worked himself up for an argument, but was stopped by Hermione's approach next to him. She grabbed his hand in hers and leant up on her tiptoes to gently kiss his exposed cheek, before she pulled back with a wide smile.

Ron instantly melted. An involuntary grin stretched across his lips as he looked down at her.

" _ **Would yeh vermin quit yeh lollygagging before I ban yeh from leaving at all?!"**_

All four of them jumped, and turned to towards the gates to see that the group in front of them had already left on a carriage, and it was their turn at the front of the line.

Filch, who had been the one who had yelled and was currently glaring at them, beckoned them forward impatiently.

They all rushed forward, not wanting to get banished from Hogsmeade for the day. Or, risk having to walk the entire secret tunnel to Honeydukes instead of a quick carriage ride.

As they approached, Filch eyed them all, Ron and Ginny specifically, with a suspicious glare.

" _Weasleys."_  He spat as he eyed the two of them with disdain. Both Ron and Ginny looked at one another and Harry could tell that they were trying very hard not to roll their eyes. "What  _illegal_ items do the two of yous got for me to confiscate, hmmm? Any  _Whizzing Whizzbees_  on yeh?"

Ron, who failed in his attempt at rolling his eyes, replied in an annoyed tone, "We haven't got anything on us."

"Yeah," Ginny piped up from beside him as she crossed her arms in the same manner. "Honestly, Ron and I aren't Fred and George. Just because we share the same blood and last name, doesn't make us pranksters."

Filch sneered at her, looking as though he didn't believe a word that passed through her lips. "Be that as it may, I still need to pat yeh down to search yeh."

Harry's eyes widened at hearing these words, his face heating with righteous fury. And without even thinking about it, he had his wand out and pointed directly in between Filch's eyes.

Filch looked cross-eyed, fearfully, at Harry's wand as he put his hands up in surrender.

"Touch her, and you'll live to regret it." Harry threatened with a level glare.

Filch scowled fearfully. "I meant no offense, I did, Potter…"

Harry narrowed his gaze, scrutinizing whether he was telling him the truth or not, when he felt a gentle hand on his arm. He turned his attention down to find Ginny.

"Come on, Harry, the carriage is here… and he isn't worth the trouble."

Harry looked beyond Ginny to see that she was right. The carriage had pulled up in front of the gate and was waiting patiently for them.

Harry held his wand up for another moment longer before he dropped his arm with a begrudged sigh. "Alright, then."

He let Ginny lead him over to the carriage where they got in behind Ron and Hermione.

Once they settled in and closed the door, Hermione immediately started in on him. "You shouldn't have done that, Harry. You could get in trouble now and get detention!"

Harry shrugged, unbothered by the prospect of a detention as he threw an arm around Ginny's shoulders and pulled her close into his side. "Well, if I do, then it was well worth it."

He looked down at Ginny to find that she was smiling up at him pridefully. Harry beamed down at her.

"But-"

"Come off it, Hermione," Ginny suddenly said, as she turned to look at their studious friend. "You didn't really want Filch's grimy hands all over me, did you?"

Hermione looked as though she were about to go onto a passionate lecture before Ginny's words caught up with her. "Well, no…"

Ron reached over and grabbed Hermione's hand, reassuringly. "Mione, if Harry hadn't done something right then, I was about to pull my wand out on Filch, too. I don't want people touching my sister…"

Then Ron looked over at Harry and grinned mockingly. "That goes for you too, mate. Get your Potter germs off of my baby sister."

Ginny made an indigent sound, but Harry merely laughed. "Fine, mate." Then he indicated with a nod of his head to where Ron was holding Hermione's hand. "You first."

They all laughed as Ron's face coloured spectacularly at that as he resolutely kept holding onto Hermione's hand.

….

They had arrived at Hogsmeade after talking about lighter subject matters. But as soon as the carriage arrived, Harry made sure to say goodbye to his two best mates before he made his way away from them with his hand firmly clasped with Ginny's.

"So, where to first?" Harry asked her as they walked down the crowded street full of Hogwarts students. He squeezed her hand as he looked down at her with a grin. "Zonko's? Honeydukes?"

But Ginny didn't answer right away. Instead she stopped in the middle of the street and Harry stopped walking as well when he felt the tug on his hand.

"I've got a confession to make…" Ginny said, somehow looking both contrite and mischievous at the same time.

Harry looked at her, alarmed, and Ginny laughed, as it was probably evident on his face.

"Filch wasn't too off his knocker in his assumptions about me…" Ginny said carefully, as she dug into her pockets and produced a violet, velvet bag that was tied shut on the top by braided rope. On the bag, were printed yellow words that stated:

.

_**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Presents,** _

_**Foggy Filter Flakes** _

_Just One Dash and Sparkle of Foggy Filter Flakes Causes the User (Or Victim, Depending On How You Look At It) to Lose Their Filter, Making it So They Blurt Out Any Opinion They Have - Both the Good and the Extraordinarily Terrible._

_Side Effects May Include..._

_Horrendous Gas That Smells Like Week-Old, Moldy Cheese._

_Excessive Overgrowth of Toenails._

_And/Or Sporadic Bursts of Random Singing._

.

After Harry finished reading the print on the bag, he turned wide, flabbergasted eyes up to his mischievous girlfriend.

"Why you devious, little  _minx!"_ Harry exclaimed, finally starting to laugh. "And you had the gall to act all innocent with Filch! I swear that sometimes, you are worse - or better, depending on how you look at it - than the twins will ever be! Because you always manage to get away scott-free!"

"But of course! I  _am_ a professional." Ginny stated with a confident grin.

Harry laughed as he reached down to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "What are you planning to do with it?"

"Well, I thought that could be decided by the two of us…" Ginny said as she played distractedly with the buttons on his winter cloak. "You know, to make sure that we loosen up a bit so that we aren't so ruddy nervous for our date, and all. So, since I came up with the idea, I'll leave it up to you who you want to be our victim. Malfoy, perhaps?"

Hmmm… It was tempting, but as Harry thought on it a bit more...

"No," Harry said, finally, "Most definitely your dorm mate. You never got her back for the article, and this seems innocent enough to just teach her a lesson."

Ginny looked surprised for a moment, before a sly smile graced her lips. "You mean Meyetta?"

Harry nodded.

Ginny laughed, snickering a little. "She'll be disappointed to know that you can never seem to remember her name."

Harry gave her a perplexed look, but Ginny merely shook her head as her duplicitous grin only grew. "I like your way of thinking, Mr. Potter. I knew there was a reason why I still keep you around."

"Really? That's the reason, huh? And here I thought you were with me for my fame and fortune, Miss. Weasley." Harry quipped.

"On the contrary, Mr. Potter," Ginny retorted quite saucily, "I'm with you exclusively because of your sexy arse-"

She cut off as she realized what it was that just came out of her mouth, the redness on her cheeks quickly spreading up to her hairline. Harry stared at her with his mouth wide open before a teasing grin automatically replaced it. " _Reallllly…?"_

"Drop it, Harry."

"Oh, no. I want to hear more about what you think of my arse. Sexy, you say?"

Ginny hit his arm, before covering her face in mortification. " _Harry…!"_  She whined in complaint, his name muffled from beneath her hands.

Chuckling, Harry reached forward and attempted at pulling her hands from her face. Ginny pulled against his coaxing touch, shaking her head as she groaned in her embarrassment.

"Hey, if it helps, I think that you have a sexy arse, too…" Harry admitted, a twinge of shyness creeping into his tone.

Ginny lowered her hands slightly, so that her eyes were showing, before she lowered them all together. "R-Really?"

Harry nodded, smiling at her bashfully as he reached forward to clasp her hand and threaded their fingers together. "Yeah."

Her eyes suddenly turned skeptical as she looked up at him pointedly. "I don't believe you. You could just be saying that to make me feel better about royally embarrassing myself…"

Harry rolled his eyes at her. "Really, Gin? You want me to go into detail about how I have to actively keep my eyes from staring at, not only your arse, but  _your chest_  as well?"

"W-What?"

Harry swallowed thickly, his thumb rubbing small circles over the back of her hand. "I don't know if you happened to notice, Gin, but I  _am_  a bloke. A bloke who happens to have a  _really_ attractive girlfriend."

Ginny stared at him, open-mouthed in her shock. Not saying a word.


	49. Chapter 49

.

.

.

_Harry swallowed thickly, his thumb rubbing small circles over the back of her hand. "I don't know if you happened to notice, Gin, but I am a bloke. A bloke who happens to have a really attractive girlfriend."_

_Ginny stared at him, open-mouthed in her shock. Not saying a word._

.

.

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Chapter Forty-Nine

.

.

.

Nerves suddenly seized and constricted his throat and he tore his eyes away from her, breaking eye contact as he dropped her hand. "S-Sorry…"

Ginny immediately reached forward and grabbed both of his hands in hers. "Don't be."

Harry whipped his eyes to her face, studying the expression on her face as she gazed up at him. She had the slightest of smiles on her lips, as though she were secretly pleased with herself.

A crooked sort of goofy grin found a home on his own lips.

"Zonkos?" She asked him, with a raise of her eyebrow. She was teasing him with unspoken words.

But he found that he didn't care. He had the best girlfriend in all of Britain and Scotland combined. He thought for sure that she would run for the hills after he blurted out what he did.

"Sure," Harry accepted easily, letting go of one of her hands so that they could walk in the direction of the joke shop. "We'll look for Marjetta along the way…"

Ginny started giggling profusely at that. " _Meyetta_ , Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. She's mean to you, so why would I even bother to learn her name? She's just another bully that wants attention…"

Ginny squeezed his hand at that and quick leaned up to kiss his cheek in what he knew was approval to his words.

But as they walked, a thought entered Harry's mind… "Ginny, do you know what a movie is?"

A perplexed look came across her face. "No. What is it?"

"It's like wizarding moving pictures but is longer, has noise and talking, and tells a story." By the look on her face, he could tell that he wasn't explaining this very well. "Sort of like a play."

Her face brightened with clarity and the idea of it seemed to really intrigue and excite her.

Harry chuckled, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. "I'll take you sometime."

They both had wide smiles on their faces as they entered the crowded warmth that was the joke shop. Their grins were so big, that any person looking at them thought that they must have gotten through a stash of 'Pepper Up' potion.

….

"What do you want to do for work after Hogwarts, Harry?" Ginny asked him, before she took a sip of frothy Butterbeer.

They were now sitting in the warm tavern of The Three Broomsticks. They had, in fact, found Meyetta over an hour ago and had sprinkled some of the dust on her while she hadn't been looking. The results were sure to be disastrous, but they hadn't stuck around to watch. Instead, they preferred to move on with the rest of their date, as Ginny expressed her desire for a nice, warm Butterbeer.

"Well," Harry contemplated before he took his own drink of his own goblet. "I wanted to be an auror…"

" _Wanted?"_  Ginny inquired with a raise of her eyebrow.

"Well, after last year and, well the rest of my life since entering the wizarding world, honestly… I don't know… Some part of me still wants to be an auror. But there is also a part of me that wants to just be at peace for once, you know?"

"Oh, that makes total sense." Ginny said as she leaned her whole body forward, across the table towards him. "I honestly wouldn't be surprised if you wanted to live in the Muggle world after you graduate..."

Harry shook his head with a slight smile, his finger playing with the rim of his goblet. "For how crazy my life has been since joining the Wizarding World, I still wouldn't trade anything for it. Coming to Hogwarts has lead to some of the happiest memories that I've ever had… And besides, you are a part of the Wizarding World. Why would I want to leave it?"

As he looked up, he saw that Ginny's cheeks coloured spectacularly at that and Harry found himself immersed by how the shade of it contrasted to her hair.

" _If you were an animagus, what animal would you want to be?"_  Ginny suddenly blurted, catching Harry off guard.

"Wh-What?" He sputtered, blinking to get rid of the fogginess that had been in his brain.

"Animagus," Ginny repeated slowly. "What would you want to be?"

"Oh," Harry said as he leaned back easily in his seat. "That's easy. A stag."

"Why?"

Harry smiled. "Because my dad is one. What would you be?"

Ginny blushed. "...A doe."

Harry raised a single eyebrow at her, his expression telling her that he wanted her reason why.

Ginny let out a huff of breath, before she smiled slightly at him. "Just because you would be a stag. I want to be whatever you are. Equals."

Harry smiled fondly at that, as he stared down at his hand… as it reached out to grab hers. He looked up slowly, until their eyes connected.

"Come here." He urged, nodding his head to the seat beside him.

Ginny beamed as she stood from her seat across him, went around and took her place beside him.

"There," Harry stated as he cozily wrapped his arm around her waist. Ginny settled easily into his side. "Equals."

They were silent as they enjoyed the content moment. Harry could tell that Ginny was trying to digest what he said.

That is, until Ginny reached forward for her Butterbear and took a drink before clearing her throat. "So… What exactly started your rivalry with Draco?"

Momentarily startled by all of the subject changes and questions, Harry could help but look over at her with raised eyebrows before he started to chuckle. "Playing twenty questions, are we?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at the teasing tone in his voice before she face him fully, resting her chin on her hand, which was propped up on the table. "I just want to know as much about you as possible… I told you before that you are much too mysterious for your own good."

Harry now turned sideways to face her. "Alright, then. Time to show you that I am as open as a book…"

The twitching thought in the back of his mind told him that this was a lie and she was right to question him on being mysterious. He was keeping secrets from her. Even if they were for her own good…

"I first met Draco in Madam Malkin's before first year. I was shopping with Hagrid, you see, for all of the supplies I would need for my first year. While Hagrid went to buy me Hedwig, he left me to get measured for my school robes. That's where I saw Draco for the first time."

Ginny leaned in closer, intrigued by the story he was painting for her. Harry was honestly surprised that she had never been told any of this before.

"He had no clue who I was at the time. But he had no trouble going on to question me whether my parents were one of 'our kind'..." Harry cut off as a noise of disgust escaped his throat. "I never told him who I was, though, and he didn't find out… not until that September 1st on the express. It was there where Ron and I were getting on to becoming great friends, when he just barged into our compartment with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him like two dimwitted goons."

Harry cut off again as Ginny giggled at Harry's description of Crabbe and Goyle. He grinned at her slightly, before he frowned as he remembered what had happened next. "Draco found out who I was and took one look at Ron, who had laughed at Draco's name when he had introduced himself, and started insulting him by saying he must be a Weasley from the looks of his hand-me-down robes."

Ginny made an indignant sound at that, and Harry looked down at her apologetically, even though he hadn't been the one that had done anything. "Then he said that I would need his help sorting out the right type of acquaintances from the bad sort. He stuck out his hand for me to shake and…"

Harry trailed off as he shook his head at how this next moment he was about to describe really was the start of it all. He had never really realized before.

"And what?" Ginny asked in a curious whisper.

Harry looked up, his eyes connecting with a smudged spot on the table. "And I rejected his handshake. Told him that I was quite capable of telling the good sort for myself, thanks."

Ginny threw her head back and laughed. Her laughter made him feel better about it all, as it was as contagious as ever, and even managed to cause him to smile.

When Ginny settled, she looked on at him with pride. "The smarmy bugger probably had to go lick his wounds after that!"

Harry let his hand drift over to her thigh and let his fingers trace a pattern all the way down to her knee distractedly. "Yeah… but that's the thing. I never realized it before. But I think that rejection of his handshake is what really caused it all. If I hadn't deliberately offended him in that moment, I could've saved myself the trouble."

Ginny grabbed the hand that was tracing patterns on her thigh and threaded their hands together before she sighed. "Harry… You can't dwell on the 'What if's'... I mean, think about would have happened if you did shake Draco's hand. You probably wouldn't be too good of friends with Ron, as a result. Then, you wouldn't be close to my family, and-"

"And I wouldn't have you as a girlfriend." Harry breathed in realization.

Ginny's cheeks darkened spectacularly. "Well, that might not necessarily be true. I had a crush on you before you and Ron were friends. But you wouldn't have known me very well."

Harry squeezed her hand and smiled at her reassuringly. "Trust me, Gin. I would have noticed you eventually. I just had to grow out of the thickness of my head, is all."

Ginny giggled at that and Harry joined in as well, both enjoying laughing at his expense.

When they settled, Ginny opened her mouth to ask him another question. "What happened when-"

"Oh no, you don't!" Harry interrupted with a wide grin and a shake of his finger. "It's my turn to ask  _you_ something."

Ginny rolled her eyes at him with a slight smile. "Alright then, what's this all-important question you have for me?"

Harry opened his mouth enthusiastically, before he paused and closed it, realizing that he hadn't exactly thought of a question yet. The realization caused Ginny to laugh.

"Wait! I've got it!" Harry exclaimed as he suddenly brightened. "What is one non-life threatening regret that you have had since starting school?"

The question seemed to throw Ginny for a loop. She had probably expecting him to ask something simple, like about her interests or hobbies. "Hmmm… Well, I would have to say that my biggest one would have to be not having more female friends."

Harry frowned. "What do you mean? You have Hermione as a friend and she's a girl. And-And Luna."

Ginny looked down at her hands with a sigh. "Yes, but Hermione and I didn't start to become friends until right before my third year, at the Quidditch World Cup. And I didn't get to officially get to know Luna until the end of my third year. So there was a solid year there where all I had was Colin as a friend. My first year, I didn't have any friends, because… well, you know why."

Harry suddenly felt guilty for, not only ignoring Ginny in the past when she needed him most, but also for constantly being annoyed by Colin all of the time. There was  _a reason_ why he was Ginny's best mate. And that reason was that he befriended her when no one else would.

In a way, that made him better than Harry.

"What about you?" Ginny asked, and Harry was broken from his thoughts.

"Hmm?"

Ginny smiled and leaned closer slightly so that she could prop her elbow casually onto his shoulder. "What is your one non-life threatening regret since you started school?"

Harry stared at her for a moment before he actually started to grin. "I thought that'd be rather obvious…"

Ginny frowned in confusion at his answer.

Harry grinned wider. "Mine would have to be rejecting you when you told me that you fancied me last year.  _Merlin_ , I was  _so daft_  that I didn't even recognize how amazing you are!"

Ginny stared at him for a long moment, before a slow, secretive smile started to tickle her lips. "To be fair, you barely even knew me back then."

"I wish that I had… you made life so much more bearable last year after you became my friend. If I hadn't been so distracted by everything else last year, I would have noticed how much I was falling for you."

Ginny's eyes widened measurably, and they just continued to stare at one another as they let his words soak in.

Until…

"Harry?"

Harry swallowed, licking the dryness from his lips. Her eyes followed the movement. "Yes?"

"I want to be done talking now."

A wave a disappointment overcame him as he frowned. Had he said something wrong? A small smile graced her lips, however, and she looked up at him reassuringly as she slowly took his hand. "We need to get somewhere private because I want to snog you so bad right now, and I don't think that it would be appropriate in front of all of the third years in here…"

Harry's eyes widened in realization. And not a moment later, he shot up from his seat so fast that he nearly fell over in the process. As soon as he steadied himself, he looked down to Ginny - who was giggling madly at him - and reached down for her hand, impatiently trying to tug her up to her feet.

She complied, which Harry was extremely grateful for. He now felt a sudden urgency to find someplace private. It had really been quite a bit of time since they had last had a private snog and Harry  _missed_ it. He missed it  _a lot._

They held hands as they rushed out from The Three Broomsticks, nearly knocking Justin Finch-Fletchley over in the doorway in their haste.

But the both of them didn't even seem to care. Instead, they were giggling to one another as they thought of what they were about to get up to. The outside air no longer felt as cold to Harry anymore… not with his blood pumping with anticipation. Especially in his  _certain anatomy._

His eagerness led their way, until they got to a quieter part of town and Harry pulled them down a deserted alleyway behind a couple of houses.

He quickly surveyed the area, deeming it both private and safe, before…

" _Offph!"_

He found himself pushed up against the brick building that was helping them hide from the outside world….

The action caused his glasses to go askew, but regardless, he could still perfectly see the sensual look that Ginny was giving him since the moment she had pushed him.

After that, she didn't wait for him to right his glasses, nor did she wait for any sort of response that he could come up with. Instead, she took that one step forward into his personal space and immediately latched her lips to his.

Her lips and body against his were vastly warm in contrast to the cold air that surrounded them, and he found himself already addicted to the heat. He wondered, once again, if he were barmy mad for not doing this with Ginny all of the time. As he lifted his arms around her slender waist and constricted, he thought about how much he had missed this. Missed her.

He had let responsibilities get in the way of their time together and it was in moments like these where Harry found himself questioning why he even felt the need to keep secrets from her.

Ginny moaned as one of his bare hands came up to cup her jaw, holding her face steady as he tilted her face he get a better angle. The position granted Harry with the action he was hoping she would take. Ginny parted her lips and Harry immediately delved his tongue into her mouth in search of hers.

Lights burst from beneath his closed eyes as they touched, the tingling it caused resulting in his balls tightening and his cock twitching from where Ginny's abdomen was pressed against him.

But in that moment, he was far from embarrassment. And Ginny seemed far from shy, as well. Automatically, without either of them really thinking about it, they started to slowly move against one another. Harry didn't really notice that he was tilting his hips up into her stomach until after the amazing sensations reached his awareness.

He hadn't even the time to contemplate his disbelief that this was really, truly happening. Too immersed, he was, in all things Ginny in that moment.

Disconnecting their lips with a smack, Harry instead latched his mouth onto the bare skin that he could see peeking out of her scarf on her neck. A strangled gasp escaped Ginny as he gnawed at the skin he sucked into his mouth with his teeth. He wanted to leave another mark on her again. He wanted the both of them to be reminded that it was there, and as a result, remember what they did together in this deserted alleyway.

But it suddenly didn't feel so deserted…

In fact, it felt as though something was watching them… watching him.

Harry's eyebrows furrowed as the bothering feeling overcame him. He unlatched his mouth from Ginny's neck, and opened his eyes.

Harry jumped backward at the gastly figure that floated right before them, both he and Ginny falling over to the ground as Harry pushed them back into a fall. Ginny cried out in surprise from the unexpected action but for once, Harry wasn't paying her any mind.

Instead, his instincts kicked in and he had his wand out and pointed at the ghoulish creature that was floating above him from where he lay sitting on the cold ground.

His mind quickly assessed what the creature looked like for a split second as he contemplated which defense spell to use.

The best that he would be able to describe it later on would be that it looked to be a dementor… with it's tattered black robes and it's skeleton hands poking out as it reached forward towards him.

" _EXPECTO PATRONUM!"_  Harry cried as he tried to think of the happiest memory that he could think of on the spot.

The spell worked in forming the large stag to burst forth from his wand before Harry sent it towards the creature towering above him.

Only, his patronus went right through the creature… had no effect on it whatsoever. Harry watched in horror as his stag dissipated into nothing but mist as the creature still continued to reach out for him.

" _Harry!"_  Ginny cried out beside him, capturing his attention, as well as more of his fear as he thought of her being in just as much danger… "What is it, Harry?! What's wrong?"

Harry whipped his head to look over at Ginny, her beautiful eyes were wide with confusion and fear. " _Run,_  Ginny! I'll hold it off!"

But as Harry faced forward to look at the creature… it was no longer there.

It felt as though Harry had been kicked in the stomach from how horror-stricken and confused he was in that moment.

"Wh-What?" Harry stuttered as his wand fell from his hand, clattering onto the pavement ground. "Where is it? Where'd it go?"

He head turned to Ginny, looking to her for answers. Only to find her expression worried… for him.

"What do you mean, Harry? Where'd what go?"

A large lump formed in his throat as her words registered with him. "T-The creature… i-it looked like a dementor…"

Ginny's eyebrows furrowed further at his explanation as her worry deepened with a much lower intensity but was much more profound. "Harry… there was nothing there."

Forget his stomach, it felt as though a sledgehammer had his him right over the head as he realized that Ginny hadn't seen any creature.

Only he did.

And looking back at the entire situation, it was enough for Harry to question his own sanity.

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	50. Chapter 50

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Chapter Fifty

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Harry was exhausted.

After the  _incident_ \- which was what he was referring it as - Ginny had lead him back to the Three Broomsticks, where she made him drink a large glass of water.

He was aware that he was being coddled. Treated delicately as though one wrong word or move from her part and he would go off on a mad tangent… Or maybe that wasn't what she was thinking at all and that was what Harry was thinking of himself. Regardless, Harry had felt as though he were petrified the entire time, wondering if he had really, truly, had gone mad.

It was during this time, Ron and Hermione had walked into the Three Broomsticks, took one look at Harry's pale face and came to him right away. Ginny told them what had happened, before Harry took over telling the rest through the shaking in his voice.

It was obvious to him that Ron and Hermione were looking at him in the same way that they had in their second year, when he had heard the voice of the basilisk through the school walls.

After all of this, everything had happened so fast.

As they had been walking back up to the castle, Katie Bell had been cursed by the opal necklace that Harry had seen back before his second year in Borgin and Burkes…

Harry was  _sure_ that Draco had been the one behind the attack. In fact, he was positive.

But the looks that he got as he voiced his assumption were skeptical, to say the least.

He spent the remainder of the evening enduring the looks of concern from his friends as he brooded by the fireplace.

The day had been going  _so great_  too. His date with Ginny had been amazing. Then he had to go and ruin it by getting hallucinations…

That was what he figured it was. Hallucinations. The question was, were they happening as a result from his lack of sleep, or was Voldemort sending him visions again…?

Harry sighed and grumbled under his breath, breaking the silence that was prominent only in their little corner. "I'm going to bed."

Ginny, who had been lightly holding his hand as she sat next to him by the fire, nodded in understanding. Before she kissed his cheek, her lips lingering on his skin before she pulled away, slowly. Watching him with steady eyes. "Goodnight."

As Harry stood, Ron stood as well from his seat by Hermione on the love seat. "Hey, hold up a minute, mate."

Harry paused by the boy's staircase and waited as Ron hurried over to him. Ron stopped right before him and fidgeted slightly as his hand went up to scratch at the back of his neck. Harry's eyes narrowed in curiosity as he realized that Ron was  _nervous_ for some reason... But before Harry could question what was wrong with his mate, Ron dipped his head down low and asked in a low and insecure voice. "Hey, so… I was wondering if I could borrow your invisibility cloak."  
Harry's concern lightened considerably as he nodded, and immediately reached into his back pocket for the silky, shimmering fabric. "What for?"

Ron had one hand on the cloak and tucked it under his arm, as he swallowed heavily. He shot a quick look over at where Hermione was still sitting before looking back at Harry, his cheeks as red as his hair. "Er… well, H-Hermione is going to come visit tonight… and she needs a way to sneak out in the morning..."

"Oh." Harry deadpanned, feeling distinctly more uncomfortable than he was previously. His hand nervously lifted to scratch at the back of his head. "Eh… Have fun, I guess?"

 _Ugh._  Why did he say that?

Ron nodded once, without looking at Harry in the eyes, somehow finding his shoes very interesting.

They parted ways immediately after that. Both coming to an unspoken agreement that it was probably for the best that they aren't around one another at the moment.

….

_Harry was crawling quietly on the tiled floor, his eyes meticulously watching the single ant that was crawling in front of him, fascinated._

_To the six year old, this ant was a welcome sight. A friend. Something that couldn't hurt him even if it tried._

_And as little Harry crawled slowly behind the ant, he imagined that he, himself, was an ant as well. That if he just believed it strongly enough, he could follow this ant back to its home and he could have a loving ant family._

_Harry looked up, distracted, as his older cousin, Dudley, thundered down the stairs running to the living room past Harry._

_His cousin paid him no mind, for once, which Harry was extremely grateful for. He turned his attention back to the ant… only to see it crushed on the tile floor._

_Harry's heart sank._

_Dudley's big feet had squished the ant as he ran by._

_Harry sighed, sadly. So much for playing his little game of make-believe…_

_The sound of ripping fabric from the living room resounded out into the hall, capturing Harry's attention. Curious, Harry crawled forward into the living room where Dudley just disappeared into._

_When he turned the corner, he watched, aghast, as Dudley tore the fabric of the decorative couch pillows, reaching his chubby hand inside and throwing out all of the feathers within onto the rug._

" _You shouldn't do that, Dudley…" Harry spoke up in a quiet voice. He knew that he would somehow get blamed for the mess that Dudley was creating._

_Dudley's chubby face looked up at him with a glare. "Oh, shut it, you freak. I want to make a feather bed to catch me when I jump off the couch!"_

_Harry leaned back so that he was now sitting on his knees as he observed his cousin with a shake of his head. That idea sounded dumb… then again, Dudley did a lot of dumb things._

_Dudley finished tearing apart the last pillow on the couch before he stood up and announced, "I need to get more pillows!"_

_Then, his cousin ran out of the room, leaving Harry alone to look at the mess._

_Harry leaned back forward onto his hands and crawled into the room, wanting to get closer to see the feathers._

_When he reached the pile, he picked one up and held it between his fingers. It was white. They all were. Harry brought it closer to his eyes so that he could observe it more closely. He had trouble seeing things that were far away. His teacher had told his Aunt Petunia that Harry needed to have glasses, but his uncle was stubbornly refusing to spend any money on him. Last he heard on the matter, his Aunt Petunia was vehemently trying to convince his uncle to do otherwise and just buy Harry the glasses._

' _Think of what his teacher will think after he told me the boy needed glasses and we never get him any!'_

_Harry turned his attention back to the feather. He wondered if this was really what caused birds to fly? Harry wished that he could fly… just so that he could fly away from here._

_Interested on if the feather could fly on its own, Harry put the feather up to his mouth and blew just as his fingers let go of the stem._

_The feather floated high into the air…_

_Harry giggled as he watched it sway slowly back and forth until it hit the rug once again._

_He reached out for another one, brought it to his mouth and blew._

_This one went even higher than the last one. Harry giggled with delight._

_He kept watching, waiting for it to float down to the rug, once again._

_Only it didn't._

_It just kept hovering high into the air._

_Puzzled by this, Harry picked up another feather, wondering if it would do the same thing… He brought it to his mouth and blew…_

_It stayed up in the air, close to the ceiling._

_Harry watched, his neck craned back as he gaped, fascinated, by the the two feathers flying on their own._

_But then, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye…_

_Harry turned his head downwards and gasped at the sight. All of the remaining feathers in the room were now hovering above the ground, each slowly rising higher off of the floor._

_Shocked, he watched as one feather came closer to him, pausing briefly before coming right to to his face and tickling his nose. Harry's shock broke then as he started to giggle at the sensation before the feather floated away…_

" _WHAT IN THE BLAZES?!"_

_All of the feathers fell in an instant as Harry's head snapped to the entryway, to where his uncle stood. Harry's stomach dropped as he stared in horror at his uncle. Uncle Vernon's face was the shade of a deep purple as his eyes bore hatefully at his nephew._

" _I WILL NOT ALLOW SUCH FREAKISH NONSENSE IN MY HOUSE! YOU HEAR ME?!" Vernon thundered as he strode forward with malicious purpose and intent. He reached Harry in three large steps, and bent over to grab him hard by the shoulders and harshly stood Harry onto his feet. Cowering under the large form that stood over him._

_SLAP!_

_Harry hadn't even seen the hand coming until after it had already happened. His face was turned away, to the side, from the impact and he could already feel the sting on his cheek._

_Immediately, Harry started to cry._

" _QUIT YOUR BLUBBERING, YOU FREAK!" Uncle Vernon yelled right in his face, spit shooting out of his mouth and onto Harry's face as he screamed., His one hand held tightly onto his arm, keeping him there, keeping him from running away…_

_But despite being told to stop, Harry couldn't stop his tears even as he tried._

_And this time, instead of a flat hand impacting with his face… it was a fist._

_The knock of the punch to his face almost caused Harry to fall over to the ground. And he would have, if not for the tight grip on his arm keeping him upright._

_As Harry righted himself and looked back at his uncle through watery eyes, it was to see a deep look of satisfaction as his uncle saw what it was that he did to him._

_Uncle Vernon raised his fist, and this time Harry saw it coming._

_The fist connected to his jaw and his uncle let go of his arm so that he fell to the ground with the impact this time._

_As Harry lay on his back, a steady stream of tears flowing down his face, he noticed that his cheek started to grow warm… feeling better._

_Harry didn't know how, but he was healing himself._

_His uncle noticed this as well with wide, crazed eyes. "I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU KEEP THE PAIN!" He cried out as he undid his belt from his trousers and folded it in half in his fat fist. "YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO HEAL YOURSELF AFTER I'M DONE WITH YOU!"_

_He brought the belt down, hard, on Harry. It lashed on his stomach as Harry let out a welp of agonized pain._

_This continued on steadily._

_Whip._

_Lash._

_Heal._

_Whip._

_Lash._

_Heal._

_Over and over and over…_

_Until, finally, he stopped healing himself… and the pain started to stay._

_But still, his uncle refused to stop… and throughout it all, Harry's screams remained..._

…...

Harry's eyes shot open, his mouth wide with mid-scream. A cold sweat drenched his clammy body and bedsheets as his crazed eyes blazed around the room, looking for the threat that was his uncle.

What he saw confused him.

There were objects magically being thrown all about the room within the dim light of the small crescent moon beaming through the window.

Harry jumped back as he realized that there were people in the room. Facing him. They had wands out and pointed at him!

They wanted to hurt him! They were his  _enemies…_!

"Get back!" Harry cried at the figures in the room, his voice agonized and defensive. His hand reflexively reached out blindly for his wand.

But just as Harry was about to defend himself, the door shot open and two more figures ran into the dark room.

One reached into their pocket and produced a wand.

"Lumos!" A sweet, feminine voice cried out amidst the chaos.

The room lightened with the glow of the tip of her wand and Harry was able to take in the scene before him.

Dean and Seamus had their wands out, pointed shakily at him as they leaned against each other in fear.

Ron was protectively draped over a cowering Hermione as they tried to shield themselves from the flying debris that was shooting across the room.

Neville was standing in the open doorway of their dorm room, looking both concerned and fearful as he stared at Harry.

And standing next to him, was Ginny holding her illuminated wand out in front of her. She was wearing her nightgown, with her robe thrown on haphazardly over her shoulders and clumsily tied together by the sash.

One look at her caused Harry's thudding heart to slow and his tense muscles to relax.

Immediately, Ginny rushed forward towards him, sitting herself on his bed as she grabbed his shaking body forwards into her arms.

All of the floating debris dropped to the ground at once with a clatter.

Slowly, Harry brought his shaking arms up until he was clutching at Ginny's back as though she were his lifeline. And tears broke the dam that fear was holding back. Broken sobs escaped him, so severe that he could scarcely breathe.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron and Hermione straighten from their crouch on the floor.

Ron had a blazing look in his eyes as he walked forward, desperately wanting to come closer to help. But he was stopped by an invisible force.

Ron took a deep breath, running a frustrated hand through his messy hair. "Harry, mate… let us in."

It was then that Harry realized that  _he_ was the one that was creating the barrier. Keeping everyone out.

Everyone… except for Ginny, that is.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut, tight, as he concentrated on trying to lower the barrier so that his friends could come through. It took a moment, before he felt the force of the invisible barrier break. And Ron and Hermione rushed forward at once.

It was then that he noticed the comforting hand rubbing through his jet black hair and the soothing words that Ginny was whispering to him. With all of the noise in his head, he didn't notice before.

They all had hands on him then, trying to offer him comfort in ways of touch. And Harry was grateful. He had been touch deprived all of his life until Hogwarts. And their gentle caresses were vastly different to the harsh lash of the belt that he remembered in his nightmare.

"Get. Him.  _Out_ of here."

The four of them looked up to see Dean glaring at him with a hard look on his face. Seamus still stood frozen, his face pale and his entire form shaking.

Ginny leant away from Harry, about to get on her feet. "Now,  _listen here-_ " She began angrily, about to stride forward to give Dean a piece of her mind, but Harry's grip on her arm stopped her.

"Don't." He stated in a shaky voice. Ginny's face whipped back to look down at him from where she stood. He looked up at her with an imploring gaze, willing her to listen to him. "I should go… Take-Take me to Dumbledore."

Ginny's eyes widened upon hearing this before she silently nodded, immediately reaching forward to help Harry to his feet.

They walked towards the door, where they passed by Dean, who whispered insults towards Harry under his breath. Harry chose not to let it affect him when he heard the word, 'Freak'.

But he felt marginally better as they passed by Neville, and he reached out to pat Harry on the back as they led him out of the dorm.

…..

"Your family will be arriving at any moment," Dumbledore informed calmly as his head popped out from the floo. He regarded Harry's uneasy state with concerned eyes.

Harry only nodded as he continued to pace back and forth in the Headmaster's office. He had been entirely restless ever since he got rid of most of the shakiness and had found his feet. He just couldn't manage to keep still.

Dumbledore sighed as he regarded Harry with on last look, before he took his leave to that door hidden in the wall, heading to his bedchambers. As soon as they had arrived, Harry had asked the Headmaster for privacy. He didn't want him around to hear all that he was about to reveal.

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny sat close by, also watching him with furrowed brows. He hadn't told any of them any details on what happened. The truth was, he had no idea where to start.

All that he knew was that it all finally came to a head. He had to tell someone about his childhood. He had to tell them so that they could help him work through it all... before the memories overwhelmed him and made him insane.

He was aware that they probably already thought that about him. This, as well as the incident in Hogsmeade made him look as though he belonged in the St. Mungos mental ward.

As he passed by Ginny, yet another time, she reached out her fingers as traced him forearm as he passed. The result shot heat and a tingling sensation to break out in gooseflesh up his arm, causing him to pause in his pacing, looking back to where she sat. She stared back at him with regarding eyes.

But he didn't have the time to do anything past that.

Because in that moment, the fireplace in Dumbledore's office roared to life with green flames, and him mum stepped through the thick of it.

Harry's attention snapped over to her, the sight of her most welcome at this time.

" _Mum."_  Harry said with thick emotion in his voice, before he strode forward and collapsed into her arms just a mere second before she managed to open them.

A lump formed in his throat as her scent invaded his nostrils. This was his  _mother_. One of his ultimate protectors. Something that he didn't have for a majority of his life but something that he desperately needed right now.

" _Harry,"_  His mum began, her voice panicked as she tried to comfort her clearly distressed teenaged son. Her hand came up to hold the back of his head against her, keeping him steady. "What is it?! What's wrong?"

The fire roared to life again, and this time his dad stepped through the green flames, and nearly ran into where his mum stood with Harry wrapped around her.

Harry saw his dad's eyes assess the situation with bewildered eyes, before he produced his wand out from its holster with a snap of his hand. Immediately prepared for a fight.

"What's happened?" His dad demanded, his eyes roaming the office, looking for any sort of impending threat.

Harry pulled away from his mother's arms and wiped at his eyes with the back of his arm, embarrassed. "I feel rather silly… It-It's just that I had a nightmare."

Both of his parents immediately relaxed at that, their shoulders visibly sagging in relief.

"That's nothing to feel silly over, Harry." His dad told him as he lifted his free hand to rest and rub comfortingly at his shoulder.

His mum stepped forward and embraced him again as she nodded and pulled away, cradling his face with both of her hands. "He's right, Harry, darling. Sometimes, our dreams are trying to tell us important things that we ought to know. This nightmare could be interpreted into a warning."

Harry nodded. "You're right. It was telling me something. It-"

Harry was interrupted as both Sirius and Remus tumbled out of the fireplace and onto the floor.

"Gettoff!" Sirius grumbled as he playfully pushed Remus away, before he stood and straightened, brushing soot off of his clothing.

Then Sirius looked up and took in the situation, his playful features darkened to a serious nature that lived up to his namesake.

"What happened?" He asked as Remus stood immediately next to him on his lanky, shaky legs. His expression confused.

James looked over at his best mates, his features soft but serious. "He had a nightmare."

"Not just any nightmare…" Harry interjected, before too many people decided to brush this under the rug so much that it got to the point where he lost his nerve to say anything at all.

All eyes snapped to him, all looking grave as his words settled. Silence overshadowed everything as slight bouts of fear started to trickle into the awareness of everyone's gazes. They all knew the history of what happened when his nightmares weren't considered 'normal'.

Harry let out a weighted huff of a sigh as he pulled away from his mum's arms and racked a hand through his hand. "We should sit down…"

The four newcomers nodded and they all walked over to the open chairs that sat in a half-circle facing Dumbledore's vacant desk.

Harry went to Ginny's chair and, at first, sat on the armrest. Before Ginny stood up and insisted without words that he sit down. Harry hesitated, feeling too wound up to stay in one place for long… but his desire to be as close to Ginny as possible won out in the end.

He sat down, and Ginny gingerly placed herself sideways on his lap, her hand going up immediately to run soothingly through his hair again.

It calmed him immensely.

Harry took another deep breath, gathering all of his courage to finally reveal the whole truth behind this one aspect of his life that he had previously always kept in the dark… even to himself.

"I dreamed of my childhood." He began, his voice sounding weak and raspy. "I've blocked out a lot of it, you see… and-and," Harry broke off with another huff, immediately frustrated with himself. The hot glow of the crackling fireplace making him feel uncomfortably warm.

Ginny laid her head onto his shoulder, placing a kiss on the clothed skin there. Encouraging him without words.

"I was abused." Harry stated. Not able to look anyone in the eyes as he said it, but he still managed to get it out. Instead, he found his courage by staring at the wildly unique pattern on the tiled floor. It was almost hypnotizing. As the words came out, however, Ginny froze on top of him and her hand stilled in his hair. "Uncle Vernon, he- Well, when I was really young, and I showed signs of accidental magic, he-he would take out his belt and…"

Harry trailed off. The words suddenly getting trapped in his throat. Why did he find it so difficult to breathe all of a sudden?

"He would  _beat you?"_  His mum's voice gasped.

Harry's eyes snapped up and connected with hers. She had silent tears of agony flowing down her cheeks. Looking briefly over at his dad, who his mum was sitting on top of, Harry could see that his expression looked pained and his eyes were red-rimmed.

"I-I thought that you would've seen…" Harry thought out loud, a lilt of question in his tone. "You said that you watched me…"

His mum shook her head, turning her face into his dad's shoulder and let her tears flow freely. His dad swallowed heavily and his arms tightened around his mum. "We were only allowed glimpses… We never saw- We never even  _imagined…_ "

Harry tore his gaze away, unable to see his mother outright cry. Especially when it was over him. The sight was too much. "That was my nightmare… it was memories coming back to me. Memories that I suppressed."

Ginny's hold on him tightened, constricting him to the point that it actually hurt. "Oh, Harry…" Her voice was thick, mumbled by tears. Harry tightened his hold on her, feeling better about it all now that he was comforting her instead of the other way around.

It was then that Sirius stood abruptly, his chair falling backward with the action, his wand tight within his grasp. " _Dursley…"_ He spat, darkly.

" _Wait,"_  Harry started, panicked as he scrambled to get up from underneath Ginny, knowing exactly where this was going by his godfather's tone.

"No more waiting, Harry," His mum said, fierce as she too stood with her wand clutched tight. James and Remus did as well, his dad furious even with his red eyes. "It's about time that I paid my sister a visit."

"Along with her  _fucking_ husband," James spat, seething.

" _No!"_ Harry exclaimed, as Ginny finally moved off of him and he scrambled to his feet. "I don't want you to go there just for me!"

He fell to his knees, and didn't even bother to get up as he stared up at both of his parents, pleading with his eyes. He knew that his parents were powerful with magic. Remus and Sirius, too. But  _just the thought_  of the Dursleys in the same room as them, made Harry sick.

"But why not, Harry?" Ron spoke up from the side. Harry's gaze snapped over to look at him. He looked positively disgusted. And Harry had to fight off the reflex of automatically thinking that Ron was disgusted with  _him_ instead of the situation, itself. Hermione sat next to Ron, but she didn't seem upset. Instead she seemed to be caught in a state of shock. "If I were legally able to perform magic outside of Hogwarts, I would want to go along, too."

"No,  _you can't!_  I-" Harry jumped when a soft hand touched his shoulder from behind. His head whipped back to see Ginny… looking at him with deep, knowing eyes.

"What are you so afraid of, Harry?" Remus questioned from his side. Harry whipped his attention to Remus now. And he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out because, in truth, he had no rational reason for why he didn't want his parents and the Dursleys in the same room.

But all the same, it felt almost as though the whole lot of them were ganging up on him.

And when he didn't respond for a long moment, at a complete loss for words or reason, his mum let out a heavy sigh, before she stepped forward and knelt in front of him, her warm hand coming up to cup his cheek.

Green eyes met equally green. Fear collided with suppressed fury.

"Harry… We are not asking for permission. It is our job, as your parents, to protect you when we see fit. To right the wrongs that have been done to our child. So far, your father and I have been cheated out of that right. But now, we  _will_ see this through. We will see that balance is restored."

Harry could only gape at her clear, but firm, reasonings. And all of a sudden, he could see how his parents would view the situation… the helplessness they must feel. The desperate need to protect  _him_ , their only son.

His eyes pricked at the mere notion, as he was once again reminded that they really, truly, do care about him.

So, Harry did the only thing that he was capable of in that moment. He could only nod mindlessly at her. At all of them.

His mum gave him a firm nod in return and pulled him close, squeezing him tight, before she let go and stood. Her fury back to blazing within her emerald eyes.

His dad came forward then and bent down low to kiss the top of his head, before he too straightened and turned to his wife in expectation.

All four adults looked at each other and seemed to come to an unspoken agreement, before they headed to the floo… one by one throwing the powder in and stating in clear voices that they desired to return to Potter Manor.

After they had all gone, Harry sighed and looked down at his hands… not really knowing what to feel.

"Ron? Hermione?" Ginny whispered from behind him, her hand still on his shoulder. "Can I have some time alone with him?"

There was silence in response as no one moved.

"Please?" Ginny asked, her voice more pressing and insistent.

Harry heard Hermione sigh heavily before the distinct sound of movement was heard. "Let's go, Ronald…"

"But-" Ron had been about to argue, but it seemed that Hermione wasn't taking any arguments on the matter and dragged him by the arm to the door.

Once the resounding thud of the heavy door closing behind them met the silence of the room, both Harry and Ginny were still, with Harry was still staring down at him hands.

"Harry… Please talk to me." Ginny whispered, her voice cracking when she said his name.

Harry swallowed thickly, now looking up to the entrancing flames that danced in the fireplace. "I'm not sure what to say…"

Ginny removed her hand from his shoulder, and he instantly mourned the loss of it. But he didn't have to miss it for long, as she stepped to the side and sat gingerly onto the floor next to him, her shoulder flush against his.

She deliberately bumped her elbow against his, trying to coax him to look at her. She did this a couple of times until he finally relented and turned his gaze to her beautiful face.

Her light brown eyes were exquisit when they reflected the light of the licking flame, highlighting the flecks of gold that she had around the edges.

And for some reason, while staring into her eyes, Harry's heard started to ache. He was undeserving of so many things… but most of all, he didn't deserve her.

"How about I talk, then, yeah?" She said, her voice as gentle and coaxing as her eyes looked in that moment.

Harry paused before he could only give her a staggered nod.

Ginny gave a single nod in return as her hand landed onto his forearm, sliding down until her fingers found purchase with his own. He opened his palm to allow her to thread them together slowly.

She lifted their connected hands to her lips and pressed the back of his hand in a lingering kiss, before lowering them down into her lap.

The simple gestures did wonders for Harry in that moment. Probably more than she even realized.

"Tell me if I'm wrong," Ginny began slowly, her thumb starting to rub circles onto the back of his knuckle. "But I think that the reason why you didn't want your parents, Sirius and Remus to make a visit to the Dursley's is because you don't think that you're worth it…"

Harry's eyes widened significantly before his whipped his gaze away from her. Not wanting her to see the truth in his eyes.

Ginny sighed. "I thought as much… Harry, you do realize that you're wrong when you think that? You  _are_ worth defending. That and so much more."

His throat constricted with sudden thickness. He tried to get rid of it by swallowing, but it didn't help.

"What your uncle did to you was an injustice." She stated, her voice still soft but a tinge of hatred managed to seep through. "Your parents just want to right the wrongs that were done to you. Is it that hard to accept that there are people out there that actually care about you and want to defend you?"

" _Yes."_ Harry hissed, his hand releasing Ginny's as his arms went up and dug his rubbing palms into his suddenly tired eyes. He turned to look at her with an unintentional glare. But he knew that it wasn't really directed at her. It was directed at himself. " _Alright?_  I  _don't_ think that I'm worth defending, Ginny! You know why? It gets people  _killed_ , that's why."

Ginny sputtered indignantly at his logic. "That's daft-"

"No." Harry argued, interrupting. "It's not. People shouldn't defend me because it does no good in the long run. It never accomplishes anything and only ever gets people killed."

" _You're wrong."_  Ginny hissed with a fierce expression on her face. Merlin, she was beautiful. Even through his anger, Harry could clearly see it. "People defend you because it is the right thing to do! Because following you means a better life  _for all of us!_  You think that I didn't want you to defend me from Tom when he possessed me in my first year? Of course I wanted you to! You  _saved_ me! So tell me how it is  _any_ different for you?! What makes you  _so privileged_ in thinking that only you can do the saving and no one else can?!"

Harry could only gape at her as her words registered with him. Because he honestly had no answer to give her.

Ginny kept glaring at him as they stared at each other for a long time. Until Ginny sighed, and the fight suddenly left her. "I'm sorry… Here I am supposed to be the supportive girlfriend and I end up yelling at you…"

"No…" Harry said, his voice void of all negative emotion now. "I think I deserved it. I needed a good kick in the arse. I guess I'm just glad that you decided not to curse me with your Bogey Hex."

Ginny snorted and actually gifted him with a slight smile, bumping her shoulder against his. "If that ever happens, you'll know that you  _really_ screwed up."

Harry grinned at that and bumped his shoulder back against hers. "Let's hope that I never get hexed by you then. Believe it or not, I like you and want to keep you."

Ginny chuckled, her cheeks going slightly pink. "Oh, is that the reason why you keep me around? Because you like me? I thought it was because you thought I had a sexy arse and liked looking at my chest?"

A significant flush spread across Harry's face that went all the way down his neck. It suddenly felt really warm in the Headmaster's office. Harry looked away, embarrassed. "You won't ever let me forget that, will you?" He said with an shy chuckle.

"Well…" Ginny drawled slowly. "I rather like it, so I don't want to forget."

Harry's eyes snapped up and connected with hers. She had a blazing look in her eyes as she stared back and Harry had to actively remind himself that he couldn't ravish her with kisses in Dumbledore's office… no matter how much he desperately wanted to.

His briefs within his pajama trousers had suddenly become rather snug…

Ginny reached up her hand and pushed some of loose strands of his black hair up off his forehead. The pads of her fingertips tickling the skin, sending pleasurable shivers to shoot down his arms and spine.

"You remember when you asked me what I am afraid of?" Harry whispered, enjoying her touch like a starved man would enjoy bread. "After that article came out? And you thought that I was afraid of Voldemort?"

Ginny nodded, her tracing fingers stopping to instead slip down to cup his neck in her palm. He wondered if she could feel his thudding pulse.

"I think that I found out…" Harry swallowed, not sure of how he wanted to phrase this. "I may have suppressed some memories from my childhood... It was worse than what I remembered before. But after being raised without any love or care, and after finally coming into the wizarding world and meeting people that actually care about me, I think that what I am afraid of most is losing everyone I love. It  _terrifies_ me, actually…. So, no. I'm not afraid of Voldemort, like you thought. What I am afraid of is losing you and everyone else to him."

"Harry…" Ginny sighed. "You won't-"

"No, Gin." Harry argued, insistent. He needed her to hear this. To understand. To know just how much she meant to him. "If it were honestly just between him and I, with no one else that I care about to get in the crosshairs, I would have gone after him a long time ago and just ended it all."

…..

Privet Drive was still and quiet. The hour was late and the people had long gone to bed, sleeping easily with the calm weather the night had brung.

Petunia Dursley was one such person. Sleeping easily to the steady snores from her husband, which she was long used to. Dreaming of nothing in particular, such as was normal for every night.

A crack of lightning breaking out from the sudden, dark clouds broke the peaceful night. Both Vernon and Petunia Dursley bolted upright in bed by the close proximity of the thunder that quite literally shook the house.

The outside was still for another moment, before the whistling wind picked up to become an outright storm. The shutters outside started banging repeatedly against the exterior of the house. The sky lit up with more lightning. The once-quiet night now filled with booming thunder.

"WHAT IN THE BLAZES?!" Vernon cried out as he tried to scoot his large body out of his marital bed.

Petunia jumped as another crack of thunder shook the house, cowering in fear from it. "Where did it come from?" She asked her husband as she too shakily got out of bed.

"Don't know!" Vernon replied, gruffly, as he peered out the window for a moment, and turned hastily back towards her. "Freak storm, that is. We need to get Dudders and get down to the storm shelter!"

Petunia's heart froze with fear. She feared for the safety of her husband and son. But she also feared for the pristine nature of the current state of her house! She didn't want it to come to ruin!

Regardless, she obeyed her husband and they quickly made their way out into the hall, where her sweet Dudley opened his bedroom door at the same moment.

" _Mummy!"_  He cried, just as he did when he was young. Petunia immediately went to him and clutched him tight to her chest.

"We have to get to shelter!" Vernon cried out once again as a window shot open from the extreme force of the wind. The thin fabric of the nightgown she wore in no way saved her from the chill.

Petunia and Dudley cried out as the window hit against the interior wall and sent shattered glass everywhere.

"No!" Petunia cried as she saw glass all over her beautiful carpet.

"Worry about it later, Tuney!" Vernon yelled over the whistling wind, now grabbing her arm and tugging her towards the stairs. Petunia followed, with Dudley still wrapped under her arm, making herself forget about the shattered glass in the upstairs hall.

They clambered down the stairs, walking past the front door, heading towards the kitchen to the back door… where the storm shelter awaited them.

But as soon as they past the front door, it shot open, the back of it hitting the wall. A hole was made from the door handle in the drywall.

They all shot to the floor, cowering as the open door let in the blazing winds. Petunia covered Dudley's head with her bony hands, tucking her face into his wide shoulder as Vernon wrapped himself around the both of them protectively.

When suddenly, everything became still. And the distinct clicking sound of a door being shut echoed through the air.

Petunia shakily turned her gaze back to the front door, and-

"Hello,  _Tuney."_

Petunia could only gape. No…  _No!_ This wasn't possible! This couldn't happen! But somehow, she was seeing her sister,  _her dead sister_ , standing in front of the closed front doorway in her own house.

"You're-" She began.

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!" Her husband yelled out in extreme shock.

The wicked smile that graced her sister's lips in that moment would forever mare Petunia's memory… haunt her very dreams. "Perhaps I am. Or, perhaps I came back to enact my revenge."

" _Revenge?"_  Dudley repeated fearfully. "Revenge for  _what?_  Who is this, mummy?!"

Lily's grin dissipated as she regarded her nephew's words. "Never showed him any pictures, did you Tuney? Same as you never showed  _my son_  any pictures? What was it that you told him? That James and I were lazy drunks that got ourselves killed in a car accident?"

"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU'VE BEEN ALIVE THIS ENTIRE TIME AND YOU HAD US RAISE YOUR UNGRATEFUL BRAT?!"

Petunia paled as her husband's words made purchase. She knew that he shouldn't have said anything at all. He only made it worse.

Lily's expression became positively murderous. Petunia had never feared her sister more than in this moment. With a flick of her hand, a wooden stick was suddenly clutched within her fist.

They all cowered at the sight of it. They were all well aware of what that stick could do...

"Harry was  _more_ than what any of you deserved, and yet, you choose to  _abuse him!_   _Lash him_  with a  _belt_ until he was bloody! Show him no amounts of love every child needs! Only  _hatred!"_

Her face finally broke as tears started coming out of her eyes. She looked straight at Petunia, her gaze so lost and confused.

" _Why_ , Petunia? Why did you treat my son with  _nothing_ but contempt? Why did you ignore the abuse done to him by  _your own husband?"_  She cried out with a sob. Petunina felt her own eyes fill with tears. The years of suppressing the guilt she felt, keeping it hidden behind an impenetrable wall, was being torn down with each word Lily said, and Petunia now felt in full force. "You know that if the roles were reversed, I would have loved Dudley as my own… but you couldn't even show Harry an ounce of kindness… Why?"

Petunia didn't say anything. She had no valid reason to give. Because the truth of the matter was that she was jealous. She was jealous of her sister and the life she had. While Petunia got stuck with a mediocre life. And she took that jealousy out on her nephew. Wanted his life to be just as miserable as her own.

The more that she didn't speak the harder Lily's expression became. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore, because you will never see Harry ever again. He will never step foot on Privet Drive again."

"THANK THE HEAVENS FOR THAT!" Her husband praised, and Petunia just wished that he would  _stop talking!_

That evil grin graced her sister's lips. "But don't you see, Vernon? Harry's presence was actually  _protecting_ you."

Petunia's eyes widened and for the first time, she finally outright spoke to her sister. "What do you mean?!" She asked, panic evident in her voice.

Lily's gaze zeroed in on her. Now cold and devoid of any emotion. "When I died to protect my son, I unknowingly summoned ancient magic that kept a protection around Harry until his 17th birthday. Dumbledore applied that magic and used it as a barrier around your house, keeping anyone with ill intentions out from entering the vicinity. Harry living her kept the magic in place. The only reason why I was able to make it through the magical barrier is because it was my magic that created it in the first place. And since  _I_  created it..."

Lily closed her eyes tight, looking extremely focused. Until, not even a moment later, a flash of yellow light burst out from the house, shooting outward. Petunia shielded her eyes from the blinding light, tears leaking from her eyes in fear.

When the light dissipated, there was nothing but silence. They all unshielded their eyes just as Lily opened hers once again.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!" Vernon demanded, and Petunia anxiously wanted to know that answer as well.

But the answer was given wordlessly not even a moment later. As the doorknob was turned and the front door was opened, once again.

There stood James Potter in the front entryway, with two other men. One, Petunia recognized, was Harry's Godfather… the  _murderer._

They all had sinister glares on their faces and Petunia couldn't help but scream as they stepped forward into the house.

"Potter magic will no longer protect you, Petunia." Lily stated, coldly. "Remember that you brought this upon yourself."

James Potter took out his wooden stick -  _his wand_ \- from a holster on his hip. The others followed suit and they walked forward with menacing promise.

…

The next week flew by rather quickly for Harry. Almost too quickly.

He found himself going through the motions when it came to his classes, constantly distracted by everything that had been going on lately. It didn't help that his nightmares had returned to him with full vengeance. They weren't anything at all like the dream he had about the Dursley's or his childhood… but they had everything to do with nightmares of seeing his loved ones dying in horrific ways… in a way that felt almost prophetic.

It left Harry feeling on edge. But he still acted as though nothing were wrong as he went about his day. He didn't want Ginny, Ron and Hermione worrying about something that could be nothing at all.

On Tuesday, he taught his last D.A. class before the holidays. Ginny hadn't been able to make it because she had to study for a rather gruesome exam for Slughorn's Potions class.

But Slughorn made up for it by hosting a Christmas party for his Slug Club members. At first, Harry hadn't wanted to go, but Ginny gave him one look and mentioned how much fun they could have together, and all of a sudden, Harry found himself looking forward to it.

Ginny wore a stunning green dress for the party, looking like Christmas itself when paired with her red hair. Harry hadn't been able to keep himself from touching her all night, at least to some capacity.

It wasn't until Draco crashed the party where Harry's finally found his attention diverted from Ginny and onto something else.

Draco was escorted out of the party by Snape and Harry and Ginny found themselves following them.

The conversation they had only added more questions. But it confirmed to Harry that Draco actually was up to something.

Harry spent the remainder of the week watching Draco's dot on the Marauder's map. Trying to track him to see what he was up to.

It wasn't long before Saturday was upon them, and the final Quidditch game before the holidays was set. And Harry couldn't help the excitement that he felt for it.

Sure, he normally looked forward to his Quidditch games, but this one was especially significant.

For one, he knew that his family would be there, in disguise, as they watched him play.

And as for the  _other_ reason… Harry couldn't help but smile into his cup as he took a drink from his Pumpkin juice.

Hermione kept flashing him weird looks every time he suppressed his grin. But Ron took no notice, whatsoever. Instead focusing on his nerves and trying to muster up the willpower to actually eat something.

As Harry scarfed down the rest of his meal, he cast a tempus charm to check the time. He grinned when he saw that it was finally ten minutes to eight o'clock.

It was then that Ginny came to the table and sat down, wearing her Quidditch uniform. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and was about to lean over to place a kiss on his cheek, when Harry shot up out of his seat just as she sat down.

"Sorry, Gin!" He said, in a rush. "I've gotta go take care of something!"

He stepped over the bench and without another word, left for the Great Hall's exit.

"Harry, wai-" But Harry didn't pay her any attention as he briskly walked away. Unknowingly leaving Ginny, Ron and Hermione staring after him with perplexed expressions.

He ran all the way up to Dumbledore's office, his heart pounding with unbridled anticipation.

Once he made it to the gargoyles, he stated the password that Dumbledore had given him secretly the night before.

It let him in.

He climbed the winding steps up to the office door and, as always, raised him hand to knock but was stopped by Dumbledore's voice. "Enter."

Harry turned the knob and opened the door.

"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore stated pleasantly as he saw that it was him. "I was just getting reacquainted with your guest…"

Dumbledore gestured with his hand towards the chair across the desk from him. The person stood from the chair as soon as Dumbledore had addressed Harry's arrival. And at the sight of them, Harry beamed.

"You actually came!"

…

Harry sat on his broom, high in the air. He knew that he should be searching for the snitch at the moment, but he kept getting distracted…

His eyes kept straying over to wherever Ginny was at the moment, making sure that she was playing her best.

And she truly was. She had already score seven goals all on her own! Which was for the best, considering Harry had to replace Katie Bell with a third year for the game. And it was especially impressive because of the current snowfall that they had.

It made it impossible to see much of anything, let alone a golden snitch.

Harry figured that it would be a long while for the snitch to make its appearance. So, he allowed himself time to enjoy watching Ginny dominate the quaffle.

"Gryffindor scores! Another goal by Ginny Weasley!" Seamus Finnigan cried out over the speakers. Luna had been unceremoniously fired from the job. But Luna wasn't bothered by it at all, stating that she would now have more time to keep a watch on the nargles that seemed to plague Harry.

Harry cheered loudly for Ginny as she beamed at her own success. Merlin, she really was something. How had he gotten so lucky to not only have a beautiful, caring, and funny girlfriend, but to have her be a fantastic Quidditch player on top of it!

"Cho Chang just spotted the snitch!" Seamus yelled, his voice panicked.

Harry cursed as he whipped his gaze away from Ginny, his eyes searching for where Cho was on the chase for the snitch. He spotted her on the opposite side of the pitch. Chasing the snitch in the opposite direction from where he was.

"Fuck!" Harry cursed again as he lay forward on his broom, trying to shoot forward as fast as he possibly could…

Only, he was too late.

"Cho Chang caught the snitch...!" Seamus cried out miserably. "Ravenclaw wins…"

Harry froze mid-air and just hovered there. He had never lost a game before… Any other time that he had, at least, had been due to no fault of his own.

He was to blame for this.

 _He_ lost Gryffindor the game.

….

Harry sighed miserably as he sat on the bench in the boy's locker room. Everyone else had taken their showers and had towels wrapped around their waists as they morosely thought over their own defeat.

Harry lifted his hands and covered his eyes. "I'm such a bloody idiot!"

Ron looked over at him, and shook his head sadly. "Don't be too hard on yourself, mate. We all have to lose from time to time and-"

But Ron wasn't able to finish his sentence. As the door to the boy's locker room burst open… and Ginny stormed through.

The boys all let out indignant cries.

"Oy!" Ron yelled out at his sister. "Get outta here, Ginny! You're not allowed!"

Ginny turned a fierce glare over at her brother. "Oh, shut it, Ron!"

She then scanned the locker room with her eyes until she spotted him, her eyes narrowing.

Harry visibly gulped.

" _You!"_  Ginny accused, her voice high and almost squeaky. She stormed closer and Harry found himself leaning back as far as he could. "Why did you play so  _horribly?!_  And why have you been avoiding me and acting so strangely?!"

Harry could only gape at her. He didn't realize that how she would see his actions from this morning that way… But he could now see that he had actually hurt her. His losing the game was just the tip of the issue.

Harry stood slowly, and reached forward to grasp her elbow. Ginny flinched at his touch but, thank Merlin, she didn't pull away from it. "I want you to meet someone…"

Her demanding eyes turned confused, before they hardened once again. But she did give him a firm nod.

He reached down and threaded their fingers together, which Ginny allowed, and led her out of the locker room. Leaving all of the stunned faces of the other male teammates.

They didn't say a word as Harry led her back towards the pitch, leading her towards the staircase to the teacher's spectator stands.

Harry could almost sense the confusion emulating from her, and he had to deliberately bite his tongue to keep from spoiling everything.

When they finished climbing the steps, it was to see empty stands… except for one person that remained.

It was a woman. With light skin and blonde hair.

Ginny visibly stiffened at the sight of her. Harry looked over, questioningly, and realized with a start that Ginny looked  _jealous!_

"Ginny,  _no…_  It's not what you-"

"I have to say, Harry, that wasn't very good seeking on your part…" The woman said as she stood from her seat in the stands.

Harry flushed, embarrassed. Especially since he had no ruddy valid excuse for how he played. "Sorry… I was so focused on how Ginny was playing that I sort of forgot that I had to focus on finding the snitch."

The woman snorted. "The typical traits of a besotted boyfriend…"

She then took out her wand and pointed it at herself, removing the glamour that had been shielding her real identity. The blonde hair turned back to it's dark, reddish brown and her skin turned back to its olive skin tone.

Ginny let out a spectacular gasp and Harry turned his downright giddy attention to catch the look on her face. Her shocked expression was priceless.

"Hello," The woman said as she stepped forward up the steps, stopping only when she was right before them. "I'm Gwenog Jones."

She then smirked at Harry, before she pursed her lips and crossed her arms in thought. "You really did play horribly, Harry. That being said, on the other hand, Ginny you played quite good for a- what are you, a fifth year?"

Ginny could only nod as she continued to gape.

"You've got real potential." Gwenog said as she reached forward to grasp Ginny's hand in her own. "Harry here said that you want to play for the Harpies. If you keep up with the way you are headed with your chasing skills, I'm sure that somewhere down the line, I could get you a spot on the tryouts."

A single gasp escaped Ginny's throat. "You… You're serious?!"

Gwenog laughed and nodded, detracting her hand from the handshake - which had been going on too long.

As soon as Gwenog let go, however, Ginny launched herself forward and attacked Gwenog with the tightest of hugs. Gwenog let out a little yelp of surprise and took it all good-naturedly.

"Thank-you-thank-you-thank-you!" Ginny cried out as she clutched to her Quidditch idol. Harry couldn't help but laugh gleefully as Ginny basked in the potential of her dream coming true.

"Don't thank me…" Gwenog said, a smile in her voice as she finally managed to pull away from the constricting embrace. "Thank Harry. He was the one that wouldn't stop going on and on about how amazing a Quidditch player his girlfriend was. I was curious to see whether his boasting held true or not…"

Ginny's gaze snapped over to look at him for confirmation and Harry smiled sheepishly at her. "Yeah… I may have been bragging a bit."

"A bit?" Gwenog teased. Harry sent her a mocking glare in warning.

His attention was turned back to Ginny who then launched herself at him this time, her arms wrapped completely around his middle.

"I take everything back that I said in the locker room!" Ginny blurted as she pressed her face into his chest. Her voice was thick with tears of happiness. "You are the  _best_ boyfriend a girl could have!"

Harry beamed at the praise, for once feeling justified in taking a compliment from someone else. He slowly lifted his arms and wrapped them around her shoulders. He then placed a long kiss on the top of her head.

"I'd do anything for you, Gin…" He murmured quietly. "Anything and everything."

It was the closest that he had ever gotten to telling her that he loved her. And to say that she later snogged his brains out that very evening behind a tapestry, would be an understatement.

…...

Harry sat by the fireplace in the common room, staring aimlessly into the licking flames, mesmerised into a trance.

He had another nightmare. It was clear to Harry that no amount of dreamless sleep potion was going to stop them from happening. This had to be something else. The dreams had to be coming from some magical force in order to render the dreamless sleep potion useless.

Harry pondered and brooded over this throughout the wee hours of the morning, until the chattering of emerging students broke the silence and signaled the start of the day.

The hussle of Gryffindor tower was even more prominent than usual, as majority of students in the castle were gathering their things into their trunks, packing last minute for the train to start the winter hols.

Harry had already packed the night before. So, he merely sat and stared mindlessly at the flames, trying to will away the pure exhaustion he felt.

"Why, Harry… you look troubled." A sudden, dreamy voice interjected. Harry looked up, and was surprised to see Luna standing over his chair. He wondered at what she was doing in Gryffindor tower and who had let her in. And even more curious was the fact that she was still dressed in her long, floor-length nightgown.

"I'm fine, Luna," Harry said, tiredly, "What are you doing in-"

"Is it because Ginny won't have sex with you?" Luna suddenly interjected, a slight note of curiosity painted her dreamy tone as she tilted her head, staring at him appraisingly.

Harry's jaw dropped as he gaped at her. "Wh-What?"

Luna looked away from him, her eyes pondering as she stared up at the ceiling. "To be fair, we did tell her to take her time. She's not like Neville and I…"

If Harry's jaw could fall any further, it would have reached the floor by now. "Y-You and  _Neville…_? What-?"

Luna looked back at him, her eyes shining brightly as a soft smile graced her lips. "Neville and I have sex. It's quite nice. You should try it! I know that you want to…"

The way that she said it… so  _casually_. Harry couldn't comprehend what her words even meant! Neville has sex. With  _Luna?_! Since  _bloody when?!_

All of a sudden, Harry realized why it was she was in Gryffindor tower and why she was still in her nightgown.

Unknown to Harry, Luna had spent the night in his dorm room. In Neville's  _bed_.

Harry flushed at the realization. It was more than he ever wanted to know about his mate. Harry honestly still couldn't wrap his mind around it. "Wh-What?"

Luna looked at him with furrowed brows, as if she were questioning  _his_ sanity. "Well, it's rather obvious that you want to have sex with Ginny, Harry. She's like your own personal Skelgrow that makes your bone grow, and-"

" _LUNA!"_  Harry exclaimed, his hand coming up to cover his crotch instinctively in mortification.

Luna now looked incredibly confused before her features softened in realization. "Oh. My mistake, Harry. I didn't realize that it was only your wand in your front pocket that made the tenting in your trousers."

Harry was going to die. Forget Voldemort being the one that could potentially kill him. Instead, he was going to be killed by Luna Lovegood in this very moment. And the cause? Shame and humiliation.

Suddenly, Luna perked up as though she just remembered something. "Well, I'd better be going. I've got to catch the train, too. See you later, Harry."

And with that, she walked away. As though she didn't completely shake Harry to his very core.

Harry felt then that he could no longer stay in that spot. He had to get out of there and try to forget that this entire conversation ever happened.

Harry jumped up from his seat, going for the stairs. On the way up, he saw Neville on the stairway, where he merely mumbled a hello as he avoided his mate's eye.

When he managed to make it to his dorm, Harry leapt for his bed and shoved the curtains shut, basking in the fact that he was now alone to deal with the aftermath of the fact that Luna had just pointed out the fact that she noticed he got  _a boner_ whenever he was around Ginny…

His mind wandered past that onto more dangerous grounds as he wondered whether anyone else also noticed his hard-on for Ginny.

Harry paled as he wondered whether  _Ron_ had ever noticed. Before he relaxed by the simple realization that Ron would have surely killed him if he had.

Harry thought and stressed over any person that could have possibly noticed his 'problem' in any instance throughout the year, when his curtains were suddenly pushed a part.

Harry jumped at the sudden light that came in through the dimly lit space, as he looked up to find Ginny standing there. Her pygmy puff, Arnold, sitting on her one shoulder while a knapsack rested on the other.

Harry calmed as he realized that it was her, before he took in her appearance for the day…

She wore her hair down, in a tumble of red waves, but with one side pinned back by hairpins. She also wore a little bit of makeup today, something that was rare for her to do, and Harry marveled at the way her eyelashes looked twice as long with the black mascara that accentuated them. She wore her green, Holyhead Harpies t-shirt. The very one that she had worn that day at the pond, when Harry had caught her swimming in her bra and knickers.

His embarrassment was long forgotten as he remembered that day… and his cock twitched with interest as he stared heavily up at her.

Merlin… she was so gorgeous.

"What are you still doing in bed?" Ginny asked him, her eyebrows furrowing as her eyes roamed over him in concern. Looking for any signs of distress and most likely wondering if he had another nightmare.

But Harry didn't answer her question. Instead, he reached forward and grabbed her arm, tugging her forward and onto his bed before he got onto his knees and closed the curtains to enclose them within.

When he turned to look over at her, she had a look of surprise on her face. Arnold had fallen off of her shoulder at the abrupt movement and was now sitting at the end of his bed. But he paid her pygmy puff no mind. Because just as Ginny opened her mouth to say something, most likely to question what in Merlin's name had gotten into him, Harry had leaned forward and aggressively captured her lips with his. Effectively cutting off what she had been about to say.

A shocked sort of choked gasp came from Ginny, but it didn't deter Harry at all. He moved his lips against hers, trying to coax hers into joining the dance that his had already started.

It didn't take much more convincing on his part.

With a long moan, Ginny started to participate. Pressing her soft, pillowy lips to his in a way that made Harry's toes curl and his cock to grow hard in his trousers. But just as he was about to deepen the kiss into a well-needed snog, Ginny pulled away.

Harry let out a noise of needy complaint, as he looked up at her with a look that wondered whether she was daft or not.

Ginny ignored him. Instead she took out her wand and cast a quick silencing charm and a sticking charm on the curtains.

Then, she threw her wand on the mattress next to her and leapt forward, pushing him back onto his pillows as she latched her lips back onto his.

Harry let out a surprised grunt at the action but gave no complaint as he was transported back to the feeling of heaven that Ginny's lips gave him.

She was hovering over him with delicious closeness. Harry wrapped his arms around her tiny torso, then tightened his constriction around her, forcing her body to become flush against him.

He couldn't bloody believe that he had  _Ginny Weasley_ laying on top of him.

He would have questioned whether it was a dream, if it hadn't felt too good for his imagination to make up.

But then it ended. As Ginny lifted her hands and pushed against his chest, separating their lips once again with a smack. Ginny panted as she stared down at him with a hard, heavy look. Stopping the complaint that Harry was about to express from her stopping again.

The intensity that she was staring at him with in that moment caused Harry to lose his breath. He couldn't look away, even if he had wanted to.

And he felt all the love that he felt for her bubble up in his chest, swelling within his heart.

Merlin, he loved her so much.

He honestly didn't deserve her.

No one did.

They didn't speak as they continued to stare. And as Harry looked closer, he could see that within Ginny's eyes, there was a war that she was fighting within herself. Almost as though she were trying to come to a decision.

After a long moment, her eyes cleared and she sat up even further, and Harry actually whimpered as she willingly took herself further away from him.

He had never felt such a need for another person in his life.

Ginny bit her lip, no longer looking at him as she worried the swollen skin beneath her teeth as she straddled upon his thighs.

That was when she did the unexpected…

Her hands went down, grabbed the hem of her green, Holyhead Harpies t-shirt, and lifted it up. Whipping the fabric over her head, causing her wavy red hair to become unsettled slightly.

Harry gasped. His eyes instantly roaming all of the newly exposed flesh that was revealed before him. Before his eyes zeroed in on the white, cotton bra that she wore, covering the luscious swell of her perfect breasts. The bra was nothing fancy, but it was still the most amazing fabric that he had ever laid eyes on. Yet, despite that fact, he wanted more than anything to get  _rid_ of it.

" _Ginny…_ " Harry breathed, his eyes finally lifting to take in her scarlet face, where her eyes were keenly avoiding looking at his. Instead, electing to look down at his duvet covers.

Harry sat up slightly, resting his weight on his one hand while the other came up to cup her cheek. He turned her head, willing her to look at him. She did so with apprehensive eyes, and he couldn't possibly understand what there was that she had to feel anxious about...

" _Gin_ ," Harry said her name again, saying it as though it were a prayer. "You're so  _beautiful_."

Ginny's lips fell open slightly at the amount of sincerity that he forced into his words. He wanted his opinion of her to be made entirely clear.

Then, somehow, they were kissing again. And Harry wasted no time in brushing his tongue against the seal of her lips. Asking for invitation to her sweet warmth.

He wasn't disappointed.

She opened herself to him, and as soon as he entered, their tongues connected. And sparks flashed behind Harry's closed eyes.

Ginny was intoxicating. Better than firewhiskey.

He brought his hand up to rest on her bare side, lying just below the fabric of her bra. He snaked his hand up ever-so-slightly, knowing its goal but treding the road slowly, carefully.

His fingertips touched the edge of the fabric and his hand was about to take that leap upward, when…

" _Harry?!"_ Ron's frantic voice cut through from the other side of the curtain. Ginny jumped off of him, acting as though she had been burned. "What you doing sleeping? We've got to go catch the train!"

Harry grapled for his wand and canceled the silencing charm before saying, "Yeah. I was just talking to Snuffles and Prongs real quick. I'll be down in a moment, mate."

Ron let out a huff of acknowledgement. "Well hurry it up! The train won't wait for you and you'll be seeing them in a matter of hours anyways."

It was clear that Ron wasn't going to go downstairs to wait for him. That he was going to wait right there for Harry to open his curtains so that they could walk down to the train platform together.

Harry clambered onto his knees, his hand digging into his pockets until he finally produced his invisibility cloak.

When he looked over to Ginny, it was to see her shrugging her shirt back on, and a wave of disappointment washed over Harry as he watched it happen.

He would have gladly missed the train to continue with what he and Ginny were doing… as well as where it was leading. When she had straightened her shirt, grabbed Arnold from the end of the bed, as well as her knapsack, Harry handed her his cloak. All the while, he was trying to read her eyes. Wondering whether or not she regretted the fact that they were interrupted as much as he did.

But he had no way of asking her. As they would have the entire train ride surrounded by their friends… and after that, they would officially be starting the winter hols.

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	51. Chapter 51

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Chapter Fifty-One

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For the entire train ride home, Harry had been distinctly uncomfortable.

Not because of the bench he was sitting on, which was as comfortable as ever with its padding. Not because of the temperature because the interior of the train cars were toasty warm.

No… it was because he had a  _painful_ erection the entire train ride home, digging into the zipper of his jeans. He couldn't stop thinking about  _earlier..._ with Ginny. The way that she had whipped her shirt off had shocked him in the most rewarding way. And the sight of that absent shirt with nothing but her bra in place…? Well, it left Harry  _mesmerized._

He  _really_ couldn't stop thinking about it.

His mouth wouldn't stop watering as he pictured her clearly in his mind. So much so, that he had to resort to swallowing his saliva every few seconds or so. His hands were so clammy, that he had to constantly rub his palms on his trousers. He really wished that they had just  _missed the train_  and continued on with where he and Ginny had been heading.

What would have happened if they hadn't been interrupted? Would he have gotten her bra off, too? Touched her bare breasts in the palm of his hand? Perhaps even kiss them? Suck them? But then, would it have stopped there? Or would it have continued on until he had Ginny completely  _naked_ in his bed…?

These questions went round and round in his head, with his cock twitching painfully as he thought them.

It didn't help his predicament any that Ginny was sitting right beside him the entire time... acting completely normal one moment, laughing with all of their friends. But in the next moment, she would turn her gaze to him and give him this  _look_.

And Harry swore to  _Merlin_ that every time she looked at him  _in that way_ , he had been close to creaming in his pants.

To say that their arrival at King's Cross was both a blessing and a curse would be a vast understatement. He would miss Ginny over break. Ron and Hermione, too. But he was also looking forward to spending time with his parents at his  _home._

And the sooner that the winter hols started, the sooner he could return to Hogwarts and  _thoroughly_ explore the new aspects that Ginny had just introduced to their relationship.

His cock twitched at the thought as he got off of the train, one hand firmly on Hedwig's empty cage and the other clasped with Ginny's. She didn't seem to mind the clamminess at all, which made Harry grateful.

As they were rifling through the pile of luggage that was getting thrown onto the platform, looking for their own, he heard the district yelp of motherly joy that could only come from Mrs. Weasley. He only had enough time to turn and face her before he found himself crushed into a tight bear-hug. Mrs. Weasley had tears of happiness that leaked out of her eyes and she held him to her.

"Oh, Harry, my dear! My heart could just burst from seeing you and Ginevra together!" She pulled away just far enough to be able to cup his cheek with her hand. Beside him, still holding his hand, he heard Ginny groan in embarrassment at the situation. "As you were probably well aware, Ginny had quite the crush on you all these years, and - well, I always thought that the pair of you would be good together, but I didn't want to push."

"Nice to see you too, mum," Ron called sarcastically as he pulled Hermione's trunk from the pile.

Mrs. Weasley waved her hand at Ron haphazardly. "Oh, tush! Of course I'm happy to see you, Ronald. You too, Ginny. I just hadn't expected to see Harry here, is all. It would've done you well if either of you had told me that he was allowed to join us for Christmas." She broke off with a stern, motherly look that she directed at both of her youngest children.

"Actually, Mrs. Weasley…" Harry interjected, but he was interrupted.

"Oh, but it is no bother, Harry! No bother at all! You are most welcome at the Burrow." Mrs. Weasley was quick to assure as she patted his shoulder warmly. "We just have to take  _extra_ precautions with the sleeping arrangements, is all. I hope that you understand, Arthur and I  _do_ trust you. We really do. But there is the matter that you and Ginny are now dating and I was once young myself, so I know-"

" _Mum!"_  Ginny interjected, her face becoming scarlet in her mortification. Harry's cheeks were just as red, himself. Especially since he now knew that Mrs. Weasley wasn't too far off the mark…

"Well, actually Mrs. Weasley, I'm not coming to the Burrow…" Harry managed to say through his mortified mumbling.

" _You're not?!"_ Mrs. Weasley gasped, looking quite alarmed. "And  _where_ is it that you think you are going? Not to those relatives of yours, are you? I couldn't bear the thought of you spending  _Christmas_ with them!"

"Eh…" Harry began, not quite knowing how to explain it all in such a heavily populated area.

"There you are, Harry!" At the sound of his name, Harry whipped his attention over to the two strangers approaching. A man and a woman. Both had blonde hair and blue eyes and distinctly pointed features. Harry narrowed his eyes at them, distrusting, as they took their approach. The woman especially looked like she wanted to reach forward and touch him.

The man gave him a significant look. "We best be going. Snuffles is waiting…"

Clarity dawned on him instantly. These two were no strangers at all. They were his  _parents_ wearing glamours, coming to pick him up from the train station for the very first time. Harry smiled at them in relief, his shoulders sagging. Before he turned to look at Ginny, bending down to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek in goodbye, wishing that he could give her a kiss much less chaste than that. "Bye, Gin…"

Harry straightened and looked over at Ron and Hermione. "Bye. And Happy Christmas!" They both echoed the sentiments back at him before Harry looked back at his parents, preparing to get ready to leave with them.

His dad reached forward to grab his trunk from him when a tight grasp on his arm stopped Harry from handing it over to him.

He looked down at the hand and followed it up the arm to see who it was connected to. Mrs. Weasley was gaping at him with wide, fearful eyes. "Harry…  _Who in the name of_   _Merlin_ are  _these people and why are you going with them?!"_

Dread dropped to the pit of his stomach as he took in the frazzled state of the woman who cared for him as one of her own sons since he had known her… How in the name of  _Merlin_ could he possibly begin to explain this?

"It's alright, Mrs. Weasley-" Harry began, but was immediately cut off.

"It is certainly  _not_ alright, Harry! These two are  _strangers!_  You shouldn't just go off with them. They could very well be Death Eaters!"

"We most certainly are  _not_ Death Eaters…!" His dad interjected, actually looking offended at the mere notion of the title being associated with him.

Mrs. Weasley flashed him a very stern look that had Harry recoiling. "And how do you suppose I know that you're telling the truth? I've never seen the likes of either of you within Wizarding Britain. And you just expect me to let you just take Harry wherever you well please? Not on  _my_ watch!"

Harry whipped his gaze back and forth between them, frantically trying to find a way to fix all of this. As much as he loved the Burrow, he desperately wanted to spend this Christmas with his  _parents._ At his  _home_. But he couldn't risk his parent's exposure…

It was then that his eye caught on someone within the crowd, who seemed to be searching himself. Harry gasped as he spotted the lifeline.

"Remus!" Harry called out, raising his one arm up high in the air before he frantically started waving it about to catch his attention.

Remus' gaze snapped over at the sound of his name and his shoulders actually sagged in relief at the sight of him. He quickly made his way over and didn't stop until he had Harry tight within his embrace.

"Good to see you, Harry!" Remus said genuinely as he pulled away. Before he looked back at the glamoured figures of his parents, who actually looked on jealously at the fact that Remus got to touch Harry in such a familiar way while they couldn't yet. "Sorry about these two… They had apparated here before I even knew what was happening. Too excited, I guess. But I tried to warn them that they might cause some trouble from the simple fact that you wouldn't recognize them."

"We had it handled." His dad piped up defensively.

"Not well enough…" His mum pointed out as she nodded her head pointedly toward the hand that Mrs. Weasley still had on him.

Remus followed her gaze and it only took a moment for understanding to come to his eyes. "Ah, I see…"

Remus then stepped forward toward Molly and embraced her, which was awkward since she refused to let go of Harry. "Molly, how are you?"

"You know these people, Remus?" Molly immediately questioned, skipping pleasantries altogether.

Remus looked back over to Harry's parents, somewhat uneasy but still overly calm. "Molly… Perhaps we could go to the Burrow and I can formally introduce you to Harry's new guardians."

"Harry's new-  _What?!"_  Mrs. Weasley gaped, her wide eyes flashing a cursory glance over at Harry.

Harry had to look away.

" _Molly,"_  Remus stated again, his tone insistent. "The Burrow."

Mrs. Weasley's stare faltered when she turned her gaze to look at Remus. Before she let out a heavy sigh. "Oh, alright."

Harry's shoulders sagged in relief. Mrs. Weasley took her hand off of his arm and turned towards the frozen pair of her two youngest children. "Alright you lot, you heard Mr. Lupin. Say your goodbyes to Hermione, dears. We need to get this matter all sorted."

Ron flushed as he awkwardly said goodbye to Hermione as Mrs. Weasley's hard gaze watched him.

"Happy Christmas, Mione…" He said as he leaned down to place the quickest of kisses on her cheek.

Hermione's entire face was as red as a tomato. "Happy Christmas, Ronald." She said, before she reached down for her trunk and turned on her heel, heading for the barrier to the muggle platform.

Harry fidgeted as he watched the entire exchange. He had no idea what was going to happen next. Were his parents going to be exposed to the Weasleys? Would Mrs. Weasley insist that Harry stay at the Burrow? Or worse… Send him back to Hogwarts to spend Christmas alone?

Harry stressed over this before a warm hand threaded itself with his own. He looked down, startled by the touch, before he softened as he realized that it was Ginny.

She smiled up at him, meekly, trying to reassure him that it would all be alright. Harry could only give her a staggered nod as a response to her silent reassurances.

"Alright, then," Mrs. Weasley stated briskly. "Everyone have everything? Yes? Good. Let's carry on home, then. Remus? Can you side-along apparate Harry while I do Ron and Ginny?"

Remus nodded and stepped closer to Harry, linking their arms together, before he turned on the spot.

That suctioning feeling that stemmed from his naval suddenly overwhelmed him as both him and Remus spun in what seemed to be endless circles. The sensation made Harry feel ill. But in no time at all, he found himself standing in the Burrow's front gravel drive, landing on unsteady, wobbly feet.

Harry put a hand up to the side of his head, trying to put a stop to the dizziness. " _Ughhhh…"_  Harry groaned.

"Sorry about that, Harry," Remus said, scanning him with concerned eyes. "I should've warned you."

The dizziness started to fade as Harry shook his head. "No, it's-"

Three distinct popping sounds broke through the quiet air, interrupting him, as Mrs. Weasley arrived with Ron and Ginny while his parents weren't far behind.

Mrs. Weasley brushed off the wrinkles in her robes before she looked over at his mum and dad with a distinct frown on her face. "How is it that you knew the way?"

His dad shuffled his feet uncomfortably, a rare sight to see James Potter in… even if he was disguised by a glamour. But his mum spoke up, in a small voice, "Because we've been here once before."

Mrs. Weasley's eyes widened in alarm at that before her eyes narrowed, instantly scrutinizing the pair of them. Harry gulped.

"Those aren't your  _real_ faces, are they?" Mrs. Weasley accused in a low tone.

Slowly, both his mum and dad shook their heads after a brief moment of hesitation.

"Who  _are_ you?" Mrs. Weasley demanded, her hand going for the pocket in her robes that held her wand.

" _Mum!"_  Ginny tried to intervene, but Mrs. Weasley paid no attention as she whipped out her wand and pointed it firmly at his parents.

Harry acted without thinking. He rushed forward and stepped in front of his parents… facing Mrs. Weasley and her wand head on as he spread his arms out wide as a form of protection for his mum and dad.

"NO!" Harry yelled at the startled Mrs. Weasley. "Have you  _any_ idea of what I had to  _go through_  to get them back?! I won't have you hurt them!"

Mrs. Weasley froze before a look of hurt flashed across her features. "I-I wasn't going to hurt them, Harry… I was merely going to remove their glamours."

Going against what would normally be his initial reaction, Harry hesitated to believe her. His eyes scanned her features, looking for any notable sign on untruth in her statement.

He was very relieved to have found none.

Harry let out a sigh as he lowered his arms, yet he still didn't step away from standing in front of his parents.

"Perhaps we should wait until we get inside to remove their glamours, Molly," Remus intervened as he gently laid a hand onto Mrs. Weasley's shoulder. "Trust me when I say that they are wearing glamours for a reason…"

Mrs. Weasley didn't respond in any way to Remus for a long moment, insteady staring intently into Harry's eyes. But Harry didn't waver under her gaze. He stared right back. Telling her without words that he was serious about this.

Finally, Mrs. Weasley closed her eyes in defeat.

"Oh, very well." Then her eyes opened again, and they were blazing. "But this matter  _better_ be explained as soon as we are indoors!"

All of them nodded at her demand and Mrs. Weasley gave a very firm nod in return before indicating that they best make their way to the house with an easily understood motherly look. They scrambled to comply, each rushing ahead in a brisk pace to the Burrow's front door. Harry made sure to stay close to his parents, while Mrs. Weasley kept a watchful eye from behind.

Harry could still feel the heavy weight of the stare on the back of his head as he walked through the front door into the kitchen and living room area.

Ron, Ginny and Harry plopped their trunks onto the floor as everyone started to disrobe their winter cloaks, scarfs and mittens. Everyone except for Harry, Remus, and his parents.

Harry really hoped that he wouldn't have to take off his winter cloak, at all. That he would get to keep it on until he got to Potter Manor.

"Now, then," Mrs. Weasley said with a clipped tone. Harry winced at the sound of it, as it was a vast contrast to how she had been talking to him on the train platform when she had first hugged him. He really hoped that this whole matter wouldn't tarnish the way that Mrs. Weasley saw him. "Explain."

Harry gulped, and connected eyes with his parents and nodded to them once.

James sighed, before taking out his wand from his wand holster beneath his robes. Mrs. Weasley immediately stiffened, but made no move against either of Harry's parents.

"Brace yourself, Molly," Remus cautioned as James Potter turned his want on both himself and his wife. With a muttered spell, the glamours were stripped away, revealing his parents.

Harry grinned at finally being able to see them and he couldn't help rushing forward into their arms, at last being able to actually touch them without suspicion. They readily accepted his embrace with easy chuckles and pats on his back.

When Harry pulled away, his mum had her hands cupped on both of his cheeks, smiling at him. "Happy Christmas, Harry."

Harry beamed at her and his dad chuckled once again, reaching his hand up to ruffle roughly through Harry's hair. Harry let out a disgruntled noise and tried to bat his dad's hand away.

He had honestly forgotten about the importance of Mrs. Weasley's reaction until they heard the clattering of wood falling onto the floor.

All three turned their heads to the noise, seeing that Mrs. Weasley had her wand arm extended, but her wand had fallen carelessly onto the floor. She was gaping at the three of them with very wide eyes and a gaping mouth.

Harry smiled at her, reassuringly, trying to show her without words that everything was alright and that his parents really were who they were perceived to be. That this wasn't an illusion or magic.

"Y-You're… Y-You're…" Mrs. Weasley stammered, unable to say any coherent thoughts.

His mum smiled. "Yes. We are Lily and James Potter. Harry's parents."

Mrs. Weasley nodded numbly, before her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed backward onto the floor, where everyone cried out at the resounding thump of her body hitting the carpet.

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	52. Chapter 52

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Chapter Fifty-Two

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"Are you sure you're alright?" Lily asked Mrs. Weasley again as she put a damp cloth onto her forehead. Mrs. Weasley looked flushed as she sat back in the lumpy couch as Ginny took to fanning her mother with the first flat, solid thing that she could find which was a dinner plate.

Mrs. Weasley nodded, but for once allowed someone else to take care of her. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Really. Just entirely confused and in a state of shock, is all."

Ron snorted. "That's all, huh?"

Mrs. Weasley shot him a look, and Ron quickly clamped up.

"Your reaction is entirely understandable," His mum reassured. "In fact, I would go beyond that and say that you are taking this far better than Remus had when he found out. He had threatened us at wand-point…"

James started laughing at that, as he punched Remus' shoulder jovially. "That's just the werewolf side of him, is all. It was all rather exciting now that I look back, though. But I still think that I could've taken him when it came down to it."

Harry and Ron both snickered at the embarrassed look Remus had donned as well as at James, himself. Lily rolled her eyes dramatically at her husband before she turned her concerned eyes back to Mrs. Weasley. "I suppose an explanation would be welcome at this point?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded eagerly, looking noticeably better than she had been a moment before. "Oh, yes. I must say that this is all rather fascinating. It feels almost as though I am getting a visit from the past. The two of you haven't aged at all."

"You knew my mum and dad before?" Harry asked, intrigued, but also wondering at why Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hadn't mentioned it before.

"Not well," Mrs. Weasley confided. "They came to the Burrow only once before for an Order meeting. Arthur and I weren't members, you see, because of the fact that we had young kids on our plate. But we still hosted and did our part behind the scenes. We didn't say much to one another because the whole order was here that night."

"That was before we went into hiding with you…" His dad said, looking at Harry with unseeing eyes as he remembered with unsettling memory.

Harry's eyes widened in understanding as it just suddenly hit him. He had never fully grasped at the idea of what his parents had to go through. Learning that their infant son was targeted to die because of some stupid prophecy before making a mad dash to go into hiding… thinking that they could trust all of the people closest to them, only to be betrayed in the end.

"Harry, dear?"

Harry was snapped out of his thoughts to see everyone looking at him expectantly. He hadn't realized that his mind had wandered. "Yes, mum?"

"Did you want to explain to Mrs. Weasley? Or did you want your dad and me to?"

Harry opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by his dad before he could get a word out.

"Oh! Let me tell it!" James said as he strode forward with purpose until he sat on top of a wooden ottoman right in front of Mrs. Weasley. They all stared at him as he cleared his throat dramatically and straightened his robes. "Now, then… Where to start, where to start…"

Lily snorted, amused, as she rolled her eyes as her husband. "Perhaps the beginning, dear?"

But his dad didn't take the jibe personally. Instead, he beamed at Lily and nodded quite enthusiastically. "Brilliant idea, Lily Love! Right… so the beginning…"

_..._

_"Alright, Harry… This will be our little secret, alright? No telling mummy…" James whispered secretively to his one-year-old son.  
_

_Harry giggled delightfully, as he clapped his hands together. "Da!"  
_

_James' eyes widened at Harry's loud exclamation. "Shh, Harry, Shh! We've got to be quiet so that mummy won't hear…!"  
_

_"Won't hear what, exactly, James?" James stiffened and cringed at the sound of his wife's voice coming from the open doorway, before he quickly turned on his heel to face her, both of his hands hiding the object behind his back.  
_

_"N-Nothing, Love. Just trying to get Harry here to finally say, 'Mum,' is all. We wanted to surprise you." For some reason, Harry was entirely stubborn in saying 'Mum' for the first time, no matter how much Lily begged him to. Whenever she asked him to say it, Harry would giggle outrageously and mischievously refuse to say it. The little rascal.  
_

_Either way, it was a terrible lie, and James knew it. He'd been caught with his hand deep within the candy cauldron…  
_

_Lily's face echoed his internal sentiments exactly, as she crossed her arms and raised a single, disbelieving eyebrow at him. "Hmm… I see. And what is behind your back, James?"  
_

_James winced. He had hoped that she wouldn't notice both of his hands behind his back, but then, nothing got past his Lily Love.  
_

_It was at that moment where Harry must have finally noticed that his mum was in the room, not paying him any attention. He held his arms up, reaching for her from where he sat on the floor, silently indicating that he wanted to be picked up.  
_

_"It's nothing, Love. Nothing…" James said as he tried to backtrack.  
_

_Both eyebrows rose this time and her lips pursed. James could honestly say that he was genuinely terrified. It was a rare occurrence for him to end up on the wrong end of her wand, but whenever he did...  
_

_James shuddered.  
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_Harry let out a whine of complaint when his mum still didn't notice his desire to be held.  
_

_"Nothing, you say?" Lily mused. James gulped.  
_

_When suddenly, her wand was out and in her hand. James honestly had no idea where she got it from. It was in her hand so quickly.  
_

_**"Accio object behind James' back!"** _ _Lily cried.  
_

_And before James could tighten his grasp on the object, it was out of his hands and zooming across the room into Lily's awaiting hands.  
_

_Lily stared down at the long handle that she was holding with momentary surprise before righteous anger started reddening her cheeks. "James!"  
_

_"Come on, Lily!" James started, immediately trying to make peace. "He's bound to be a natural born Quidditch player! Nothing wrong with practicing!"  
_

_Lily's fists tightened around the child's broom that Sirius had gifted Harry for his first birthday, the redness from her face spreading to his ears. "For the last time, James! He's too young! It's too dangerous for him!"  
_

_An even longer whine came out of Harry, and his reaching arms became more insistent with want as he reached for his mother.  
_

_"But he loved it when he tried it at his birthday party!" James reminded her as he argued back passionately. "And it's rude never to use a present that someone has given. Imagine, the next time that I see Sirius, and he asks me how Harry is taking to the broom? What am I supposed to tell him, hmm? You suppose that I just sit there like a bumbling dolt?"  
_

_Lily rolled her eyes as she threw her arms up in exasperation. "Sirius never should have gotten a one-year-old a broom in the first place!"  
_

_"A child's broom!" James interjected, correcting her. "What's the harm? It can only hover a foot above the ground!"  
_

_Lily dropped the broom to the ground as she stomped closer to her husband, getting quite close to him as she glared up at him. James was sure that she wished that she were taller in moments such as these.  
_

_At the closer proximity of his mum, Harry let out an extended whine.  
_

_"That's not the point. And neither is your fear of offending Sirius! You just want Harry to become some big, grand Quidditch star just like you! Well, news flash, James. Not everything revolves around Quidditch!"  
_

_James staggered back with a great gasp, putting a hand up to clutch at his heart. He looked at her as though she had slapped him. "Take it back, Lils… Take it back!"  
_

_Lily's gaze looked self-satisfied. "I most certainly will not. And furthermore, I-"  
_

_"MUM!"  
_

_Both James and Lily froze. Before both gazes snapped to their son on the floor, reaching up towards Lily in desperation.  
_

_"Did-" James began.  
_

_"Did he just say…" Lily gasped out in wide-eyed shock.  
_

_Harry let out another spectacular whine, as his little hands stretched with intensity. "MUM…!"  
_

_They both gasped gleefully, and Lily swooped down to scoop Harry up in her arms.  
_

_"He said it!" James exclaimed excitedly, both of his arms going around his wife and son.  
_

_"You actually said it!" Lily cried out in triumph as she clutched Harry tight to her chest. "You said 'mum'!"  
_

_The pure happiness on his wife's face caused James' heart to stagger once before it started to beat twice as fast. She had never looked more beautiful at that moment, holding their only son in her arms.  
_

_Harry giggled out at the exclamations and attention that both of his parents were giving him and repeated the word that had bestowed him the attention in the first place. "Mum!"  
_

_Lily laughed as she broke away from James' grasp and twirled both her and Harry around in a circle. Harry laughed outrageously, immediately repeating, "Mum!", over and over and over again.  
_

_James smiled fondly as he watched them. His family. The two loves of his life. It was moments like these that made the months in hiding well worth it._

… _...  
_

_It was hours later, when they were putting Harry to bed in his crib, Harry was still exclaiming, 'Mum,' to get the attention that he learned was associated with saying the word.  
_

_Lily would beam every time that he said it and would proceed to attack their son with kisses all over his little face. Harry would practically scream with laughter.  
_

_"Mum!" Harry said again as Lily placed a tiny, stuffed stag in the crib with him. Lily smiled as James waved his wand at the mobile above the bed, magically causing the stars and animals to become animated as they moved with a calm melody.  
_

_"Yes, Harry._ Mum _," Lily said, lovingly, as she ran her hand over his forehead, brushing his hair out of his face. "But it's time for you to go to sleep."  
_

_"Mum!" Harry said again as he expected the attack of kisses that came with saying the word. But Lily smiled and merely gave a single, gentle kiss on his forehead.  
_

_"Goodnight, Harry, and Happy Halloween."  
_

_She stepped back for James as he kissed Harry goodnight as well. But before James pulled away, he whispered to his son, "We'll try to convince her to let us try to broom again, tomorrow."  
_

_James kissed his little nose before he pulled back and winked at his son, his hand tickling his little stomach briefly before pulling away. Harry giggled at the tickling sensation.  
_

_"We love you, Harry," James said, as both he and Lily walked towards the door, turning off the light and closing the door slightly until just a small crack of light from the hallway streamed into the room.  
_

_A brief whine resounded from within the room, but it was a regular occurrence that happened every bedtime. Both James and Lily had learned that if they just ignored the whining, that eventually Harry would get tuckered out and go to sleep. He usually slept through the night.  
_

_James and Lily walked down the stairs, Lily made her way to the couch and pointed her wand at the fireplace, casting a spell that caused flames to roar to life and creating a warm glow. While James made his way to the kitchen, grabbing two wine glasses and a bottle of mead from the pantry.  
_

_When he returned, he sat down next to his Lily Love and first poured her a glass and handed it to her - which she took gratefully - before he poured himself one.  
_

_He settled back into the comfy couch and reached for Lily's legs, pulling her feet up until they were settled on his lap. He immediately set to work on rubbing her calves and ankles.  
_

_Lily groaned at the shivering feeling and James couldn't help but smirk mischievously at her. Perhaps they could move this up to the bedroom sooner rather than later…_ _Which was a far cry from where James had initially thought that he was going to end up tonight after he had been caught with trying to get Harry on a broom earlier. He was sure that he would end up sleeping on the couch after that stunt.  
_

_Thank Merlin Harry decided to get over his stubbornness and say 'Mum' for the first time. It seemed to have saved James from the dog house.  
_

_"I still can't believe that he finally said it!" Lily said with a wide grin on her lips.  
_

_James chuckled as he worked out a tense muscle she had on her calve. "We both know that he could say it. He just didn't want to. I think that he liked to hear you beg him to say it. Found it hilarious."  
_

_Lily frowned and sputtered at that. "Oh yes… hilarious. It's not as though I birthed him, feed him and take care of him every day. And the only thing that I ask in return was for him to say_ one  _little word… but he refused because he found it was_ funny  _not to."  
_

_James laughed heartily at the sourness in her voice. "Well, he's saying it now, isn't he? We just had to give him reason to. Plus, I think that he realized that he likes the attention that he gets by saying it more than how funny he thought it was by not saying it. Smart lad, he is, comparing the benefits."  
_

_Lily smiled fondly. "That he is… smart. And by all the accidental magic he's had, he's bound to be powerful, too."  
_

_James snorted, reached over to pinch her big toe beneath her wooly sock. "You mean accidental magic_ tantrums?" _  
_

_Giving him a level stare, Lily replied defensively, "He's only one, you know. There's bound to be tantrums."  
_

_James nodded in agreement and responded in a teasing voice, "Yes, but no parent ever expects tantrums to end up with objects magically thrown across the room…"  
_

_Lily couldn't help but chuckle at that, probably remembering the same incident that James was at the moment. "That's true. But we've managed, haven't we?"  
_

_His smile softened as James nodded. "That we have…"  
_

_They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, and after a while, James' eyes began to smolder with desire… Lily's eyes were equally matching the heat within them._  
James put his wine glass onto the table, his eyes never leaving hers. Not even for a second. He reached forward and grabbed her drink from her hands and set it down as well.  


_Then, he crawled forward until he was hovering right above her.  
_

_Lily looked up at him with unbridled lust. A look that fifteen-year-old James had thought he would never see, least of all directed at him, but still a look his younger counterpart would have fought to have one glance of.  
_

_Now, she gave it to him freely as well as frequently. And what James meant by 'frequently,' he meant multiple times a day…  
_

_But they usually had to wait until nighttime to finally give in to their desires, because of Harry. Still, that didn't stop the lingering looks, the prolonged touches, the surprise pinching of each other's arses… It nearly drove them both mad.  
_

_But that didn't matter to James. The wait made it all the more exciting.  
_

_"I love you, Lily," James whispered as his hand came up to frame her cheek.  
_

_The lust in her eyes turned tender as her hand covered his. "I love you too, James."  
_

_Even after one year of dating, three years of marriage and one child later, James still basked in the feeling of hearing her say those exact words directed at him.  
_

_James didn't waste any more time. He closed the distance between their bodies, laying on top of her, as his lips devoured hers. Lily responded with just as much enthusiasm, matching his passion equally.  
_

_James groaned at the feeling of her soft lips. Her wandering tongue. The way that her legs opened to allow him room to settle in the space between.  
_

_James' lips wandered down to her collarbone, to allow Lily a moment to breathe. Where she let out a particularly prolonged gasp as James' teeth nipped at the skin. "James!"  
_

_Her hands went down to the bottom of his long-sleeve shirt, trying to pull it up with a certain amount of desperation. James pulled back to help her get off the suddenly offensive clothing. And as soon as he was free of it, he was just as suddenly on top of her again; his lips firmly coaxing hers back to life.  
_

_And just as he moved his hands up to the buttons on her just as offensive blouse, a loud cry resounded from upstairs.  
_

_Both parents froze at the cries of their son… before Lily let out a sigh. James couldn't help but sigh, as well. Harry was usually so good about sleeping through the night...  
_

_"I'll go check on him," Lily said as James reluctantly got off of her.  
_

_James nodded as he reached for his discarded shirt. Lily got up and headed for the stairs. "Yeah, alright. But I expect these 'activities' to resume once we have our son properly asleep in bed, Mrs. Potter…"  
_

_Lily paused just before the bottom step and turned back to her husband to give a saucy wink. "You aren't hearing any complaints from me, Mr. Potter."  
_

_James couldn't help but grin widely at the air of promise in her voice. His trousers may have gotten just a tad bit tighter as the words registered with him.  
_

_She turned up the stairs, and James sorted out his now-wrinkled shirt before he pulled it over his head again. It was a shame that he was putting_ on  _clothes when he so desperately wanted all of them off right now, but he figured it would be fun to take them off, yet again. Perhaps, he would get to see if he had perfected his skill in unbuttoning Lily's blouse with his teeth…  
_

_A randy smirk came to his lips as he thought on the idea.  
_

_The creak of footsteps on the stairs resounded in the room just then, and James grinned while he spoke without turning around. "Back so soon, love? Couldn't resist me for_ _long, could you?"  
_

_"Not exactly…"  
_

_James turned his head as she rounded the corner of the couch, Harry wrapped in her arms. At the sight of Harry, James frowned. Left-over tears were still running down his cheeks, and a panicked look haunted his small face.  
_

_"What's happened?" James asked immediately, completely disconcerted at the look pure terror on his son's face.  
_

_Lily sat down, close to James, with Harry on her lap, his tiny form positively shivering. "I think that he had a nightmare…"  
_

_Her voice was concerned, and James' face softened as he looked down at Harry. "Oh no, really?"  
_

_At the sight of his father's attention on him, Harry wiggled in his mother's arms and reached his short hands out for his father. James reached out for him, and Lily willingly let Harry go to James' lap. "Well, we can't have that, can we?"  
_

_James reached into his pocket for his wand, only to realize that he didn't have it on him. He must have forgotten it upstairs when he had cast the spell on Harry's mobile.  
_

_He looked over at Lily. "Lily, can I borrow your wand?"  
_

_Lily nodded and handed it over to him. James grinned in thanks before he pointed the wand up in the air and cast a simple spell that his own father used to do for him.  
_

_A spectrum of different coloured bubbles burst forth from the tip of Lily's wand, and Harry's eyes widened as he gasped.  
_

_It only took a mere moment for the fear to disappear entirely and for absolute delight to take over immediately. Harry's little hands came up to try and pop as many bubbles as he could. James and Lily both laughed as Harry giggled mercilessly.  
_

_The laughter, as well as everything good in James' world, was cut off by the resounding crash of the front door being slammed open.  
_

_The lights in the house went out instantly, and a violent wind blew open all of the windows.  
_

_James' head snapped to the source at the doorway, only to find the one man he had hoped he would never have to see again…  
_

_Voldemort stood in the open doorway of their home.  
_

_No… No! It can't be…! He can't possibly be here!  
_

_But somehow, he was.  
_

_"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off -" James shoved both Harry and Lily's wand into her open arms. Pushing her up off of the couch, she suddenly got control over her frozen limbs as she ran towards to stairs.  
_

_He turned to face Voldemort head on, stepping directly between him and the stairway. He watched as Voldemort watched his wife and son flee for their lives… He watched them go with_ amusement.  _  
_

_Disgust riled up from James' stomach.  
_

_"You won't get to them," James promised the monster in front of him. The red eyes snapped to meet his. This bile of filth wanted to kill a child. That wanted to kill_ his  _child._

_"They've probably already apparated far away from here. You'll never find them."  
_

_It was all that James could hope for, that they somehow got away. It was too late for him… James knew that he was about to die; that he was facing his soon-to-be murderer.  
_

_But James didn't matter. All that mattered was that his Lily Love and his baby boy lived.  
_

_Voldemort smiled vilely at him. "I believe that you are mistaken, Mr. Potter… The anti-apparition wards were set before I even entered this home."  
_

_The colour, as well as the last shred of hope that he had drained from his face._ _**"No…!"  
** _

_Voldemort gazed at him disapprovingly, somehow able to look at James with a level of disgust that should've been directed at himself. "How_ pitiful  _the Nobel House of Potter has become… Despite what you may think, I shudder to end the life of such pure, magical blood. If you stand aside, I shall spare the lives of you and your mudblood wife."  
_

_Bile rose to his mouth. James spit it out at the ground near Voldemort's feet. "I'll never let you lay a hand on him! I don't care what you do to me, but I will die to ensure that you never touch my baby boy!"  
_

_Voldemort's red eyes narrowed to little slits, reminding James of the snake that he was.  
_

_James stood his ground, his hand twitching for the wand that he did not have on him. His only hope now was that he had bought enough time for Lily to realize that she couldn't apparate and escape from a window with Harry upstairs.  
_

_"So you desire death, then…" Voldemort stated, coldly. "Then death is what you shall receive."  
_

_James didn't close his eyes. He kept them open. Defiant until the very end as he heard Voldemort cast that fateful spell; the green light was on him in a second.  
_

…...

"Afterwards, I found myself watching everything play out from above," His dad continued gravely.

The room was utterly silent as they continued to listen to James Potter recount the tale of his death. His mum had silent tears streaming down her face as she leaned forward and held James' hand. While Harry seemed to be trapped in a complete state of shock.

"I had never felt so helpless in all my life. Because in the end, my sacrifice did nothing. It didn't save Lily or even Harry…" James then smiled up at his wife as he brought their connected hands up to his lips and kissed the back of hers. "It was my Lily Love that saved him. To watch her die had given me the greatest heartbreak of my short life. But to see Harry live…"

James looked over at him and smiled fondly. Proudly. "It gave me my greatest hope."

A thick lump formed in the back of Harry's throat, which he attempted to swallow painfully. The pride that he saw within his father's gaze seemed almost undeserved; but still, something that Harry would always desperately crave and desire for countless years to come.

James fell into silence then as his mind fell into the memory. The ticking of the clock in the Weasley's kitchen was the only sound that could be heard.

Until, finally, James cleared his throat, and a shift in the mood was felt in the air. "That being said, Lily and I ended up in some sort of Limbo, I reckon. There weren't many other spirits there… but we found that we all had one thing in common..."

James trailed off as he looked over at Lily.

"Unfinished business…" Lily finished for him.

Harry gasped, and all looked over at him. "Is that why the stone worked the way that it did?"

James and Lily looked over at one another for confirmation.

"We think so…" James concluded somewhat uncertainty. "We think that it's the reason why we weren't so miserable when you brought us forth from the stone, like it was described in the 'Beetle the Bard.' Because we technically never passed on fully. We were stuck in the middle."

"Which is why Sirius was with you…" Ron piped up, and Harry was rather frazzled to hear him as he had forgotten that the rest of the Weasleys and Remus were there. "His unfinished business was that he never got to clear his name."

"Not to mention Scabbers…" Ginny muttered as she crossed her arms. Harry reached over to grab her hand, for some reason needing her touch at that moment. Ginny loosened her arms across her chest and flashed him a fleeting smile.

Remus let out a noise of disgust at the mention of the rat.

"That's true…" James mused. "Which is why we are all grateful that we have a second chance to right the wrongs, so to speak."

"Speaking of second chances…" Mrs. Weasley interjected, clearing her throat purposefully as she fanned herself with the plate that Ginny had set down. "You never said how you managed to  _get_ a second chance."

Both James and Lily beamed at the question, and James replied, pridefully, "It was  _Harry,_ of course!"

Harry felt his entire face redden as all eyes turned to look at him.

"You see, Dumbledore gave him the Resurrection Stone. Yes, one of the Deathly Hallows, though I'm not sure why he gave it…"

Harry cleared his throat, his face still blazing. "I think that he gave it as some sort of apology for leaving me with the Dursleys…"

Lily huffed haughtily as James' eyes hardened. "Oh. That makes sense."

"W-W-W-Wait!" Mrs. Weasley interjected as she looked back and forth between all three Potters in the room. "Y-You mean to tell me that the Deathly Hallows are, not only real, but Harry is in possession of one?!"

Ron nodded at his mum eagerly. "Yeah, isn't is bloody wicked, mum?!"

Mrs. Weasley gave a pointed look at her youngest son.  _"Language_ , Ronald."

"Anyways," James interjected before an argument could break out. "Harry took the stone and-"

His dad went on to continue telling the tale. Well, it was more like bragging about Harry than anything else, which had Harry's face flaming as he shifted side-to-side uncomfortably. He honestly didn't deserve any of the praise. It was Dumbledore who had given him the Resurrection Stone. It was Ginny that came up with the idea of actually resurrecting his parents and Sirius. And it was Dumbledore again who gave him all of the Deathly Hallows and instructed him on exactly what to do.

To be honest, Harry hadn't really done anything. He was just… there.

Ginny must have sensed his discomfort as he suddenly felt her squeeze on the hand that was clasped with hers. Harry looked up to meet her gaze. Harry wasn't entirely sure how to interpret her gaze. All that he knew was that her one look made him feel marginally better. That he was actually worth something.

After James had finished recounting his tale, Harry ended up having to take off his winter cloak, as Mrs. Weasley had invited them to stay for tea, as she said that she would enjoy more company since Mr. Weasley was working late. But before she went to put on the pot, she came up to Harry and swept him into a tight hug, tears of happiness leaking from her eyes. "Harry… you have no idea how much this warms my heart. I'm happy for you."

She then pulled away and pulled out a handkerchief, batting at the tears still in her eyes.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, quietly. She nodded once at him and walked away towards the kitchen. Everyone followed as Harry linked his arm together with Ginny.

He caught his mum smiling at their physical connection as Harry flushed.

They all talked about lighter subjects after that. They sipped their hot drinks while Mrs. Weasley and his mum exchanged recipes and home remedies. While his dad, Remus, Ron, Ginny, and Harry argued passionately over Quidditch.

"What do you  _mean_ you're a Holyhead Harpies fan?!" Ron yelled at Harry. "Since  _bloody_ when?!"

"Language!" Mrs. Weasley interjected.

Remus chuckled as he took a sip of his tea. "Well, Ron, is Harry a bloke or not?"

Ron looked over at Remus, confused. His dad laughed at the look on his best mate's face.

Ginny sighed as she stirred her spoon rhythmically in her cup. "Ron… The Holyhead Harpies is an all-women's team…"

Ron's face flushed as he realized why everyone was currently snickering at him. "O-Oh. I forgot."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle as well as he reached over for Ginny's hand under the table, threading their fingers together.

"To be fair, that's not really the reason," Harry admitted as Ginny looked over at him curiously. "I actually only started liking them because Ginny was such a huge fan of them. I thought that it could be something that we could bond over, you know? But the more that I looked into them, the more I realized how bloody good they are!"

"Language!" Lily interrupted as Mrs. Weasley looked on at his mum with approval. It seemed as though Mrs. Weasley felt that she finally had an ally.

Harry flushed under the reprimand as James and Remus both laughed at the look on his face.

"So…" Ginny interjected, talking over the laughter until it died down. "You  _don't_ just like the Holyheads because you like to watch grown women play Quidditch?"

If possible, Harry flushed even further. For some reason, her question sounded like it was a trap. Harry wasn't sure how he wanted to answer.

Ginny raised both eyebrows at him as she waited. Even his mum and Mrs. Weasley stopped talking as they waited for his answer.

"No," Harry said finally, deciding that being honest was better than anything. "I like them because it was something that you are interested in. And I wanted to get to know more about your interests."

Ginny's steady gaze lit up as she looked at him with approval. Harry had to let out a breath of relief, as he realized that he had answered correctly.

It was then that the clock chimed once again, signifying the late hour. Remus sighed regretfully, "We best be going. Sirius is probably wondering where we are. I'm surprised that he hasn't sent a Patronus, yet, to be honest…"

Harry's shoulders slumped in disappointment. To be honest, he liked having both his parents and the Weasley's together and he wished that they were all spending the Christmas Hols together; as one, big, extended family.

And it seemed that he wasn't the only one who felt this way…

"Perhaps," His mum interjected as Harry, Remus and James all stood from their seats to prepare to leave. "If it's not too much of a bother for you, that is… Would you like to spend a few days through Christmas with us at Potter Manor?"

Harry gasped. Not being able to believe his ears.

Mrs. Weasley looked at Lily, quite surprised by the invitation, as well. His mum bit her lip, uncertain. "It's just that, you've done so much for Harry over the years and James and I are so grateful for the love and care that you've shown him. A-And I would also appreciate some help cooking the Christmas feast… you see, I'm not all that good. And-And…"

"The more company, the merrier!" His dad interjected, smiling wide at the idea.

Mrs. Weasley stared wide-eyed at the young woman sitting in front of her before her eyes softened. "I think that sounds like a splendid idea."

Harry, Ron, and Ginny let out cheers of delight at the confirmation.

Harry couldn't help but beam as he looked over at Ginny as he pulled her close and hugged her with triumph. But as he felt her so close, he stiffened as the implications of what this could mean began to form in his mind…

He pulled back from the hug and Ginny ran away from him to hug her mum in thanks for agreeing to the idea. Harry watched as she laughed and smiled wide as she talked over plans with his mum… All the while, ideas burst through his brain that shot all the way down to his dick…

Perhaps he and Ginny wouldn't have to wait so long to explore the new aspects to their relationship after all… Harry had his own room at Potter Manor, and all he would have to do was have Ginny sneak in after everyone else was asleep.

Excitement burst through his chest as he beamed. This was sure to be his best Christmas yet.

.

.

.


	53. Chapter 53

.

.

.

Chapter Fifty-Three

.

.

.

As soon as Harry stumbled out of the Floo - where he had actually managed to stay upright, for once - he had been, unceremoniously, tackled to the ground by a hulking fur beast.

Of course… He had to have known that Harry was coming through. While Harry was saying goodbye to Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and a  _special_ goodbye to Ginny where he had pulled her behind the stairs for a quick, albeit  _passionate,_  kiss; his dad was escorting Remus and his mum through the floo to get past the blood wards.

"UGH!" Harry let out when Padfoot licked the side of his face and Harry was quick to push the side of his muzzle away with his hand. Padfoot let his face be pushed away and actually pulled back to somehow give him a wolfish-sort of grin while in his dog form.

Everyone was howling with laughter as Harry wiped at the slobber on his face with his sleeve.

"Alright, Sirius," His mum said, amusement evidently thick in her admonishing tone. "That's enough. Let Harry see his home for the first time…"

Thankfully, Padfoot actually listened, and got up off of Harry before transforming back to his human form. "Alright, but only because you asked so nicely, Evans…"

" _Potter."_  His dad quickly corrected his best mate's use of his mum's maiden surname as he wound his arm around her waist.

Harry couldn't help but grin up at the ceiling as he listened to the bantering exchange. This is really what he had been missing in his life all of these years… a loving,  _bickering_ family.

Harry then leaned up onto his elbows and froze as he took in his surroundings…

The room was  _huge._  The walls were stone, resembling Hogwarts very much in it's design. But it felt so different than the school. Built-in, square shelves were carved into the walls which held busts of what looked to be of past Potters, something that piqued Harry's interest very much.

Between every bust's mantle, stood tall bookcases that were placed evenly against the expanse of walls throughout the entire room. By the looks of the texts, the books looked ancient and Harry knew for sure that Hermione would be salivating over them.

The ceiling was enchanted, but didn't show the outdoor sky like Hogwarts did. Instead, it was spelled with twinkling, yellow lights that reminded Harry of fireflies in a field on a summer's night.

Large, floor-to-ceiling windows covered the expanse of the wall to the right, which looked out to the grounds and the night sky. Straight ahead of him was a large, grand staircase that led to the upstairs, which looked to be carved out of white stone. Harry could only describe the atmosphere as elegant… but cozy and warm.

It  _felt_ like home.

But that wasn't all… garlands stretched across the tops of the bookcases. Christmas reeves were hung above each of the busts. An enchanted toy train chugged and tooted it's little horn up on the mantle high on the wall, close to the ceiling, with smoke puffing up from the train's exhaust. Harry thought that the train looked suspiciously like the Hogwarts Express, due to it's scarlet colour. Though, instead of carrying students, it carried loads of tiny toy-presents in it's train cars.

Red poinsettias were everywhere, along with a few white lilies. They were on the bookcases, the end tables next to the comfy-looking couches, and even the mantles that the train was on.

"So…?" His mum asked as she interrupted his awe-struck gaze that had been busy taking everything in. "What do you think, Harry?"

Harry turned his wide eyes over to stare at his parents. They were both looking at him anxiously. His mum was wringing her hands together as a nervous sort of tick, while his dad was worrying his bottom lip with his teeth…

Harry stared at them a moment, confused, before the startling realization came to him. His parents… they were wanting his  _approval._  Waiting for it.

"I-It's  _brilliant!"_  Harry exclaimed as he finally lifted himself up from the floor. Both of his parents sagged with relief as they smiled warmly at him.

Sirius laughed and hit James jovially on the back. "See? What did I tell you?"

James brushed Sirius' hand off of him and pushed his shoulder in return, before he turned to Harry excitedly. "And this isn't even all of it! Wait until you see your room!"

Harry was nodding eagerly at his dad, really looking forward to seeing his bedroom for the first time, before Remus put up a hand and stopped his dad from grabbing hold of his arm and tugging him towards the stairs. "Wait. We need to go out before it gets too dark, remember?"

Harry paused in his excitement to looked over at Remus, confused… All the while, Sirius and his dad had slow grins growing on their faces.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, "Where are we going? We only just got here."

Everyone exchanged glances as they smiled secretively to one another.

"You,  _Harry James Potter..._ " His mum began as she stepped forward to brush his hair off of his forehead before placing a kiss there. She pulled back to gaze up at him with warm, motherly, green eyes. "...are going out with your father and his ruffian friends, here-"

" _Hey!"_ Sirius injected, affronted.

"-to find us the  _perfect_ Christmas tree. And when you bring it back, we will decorate it together. The muggle way. No magic involved whatsoever."

Harry's throat tightened as he stared up at her in wonder. "A-A  _real_ Christmas tree?"

Harry had never had a real Christmas tree, before. Aunt Petunia had always gotten a fake one, because she couldn't  _stand_ the mess of pine needles on her pristine floor… not that Harry had ever been allowed to participate in the Dursley's Christmases, anyway.

And sure, Hogwarts had a real Christmas tree that they put up every year in the Grand Hall, but Harry could hardly call that tree his own… a tree where he could put his presents under for his friends and family.

At his mother's nod of affirmation, excitement started to build from deep within Harry's chest. He turned to his dad and grabbed him by the wrist, tugging him impatiently. "Well,  _come on,_  then! We've got to find the  _perfect_ one before it gets too dark!"

His dad laughed at his sudden impatience. "Hold on, Harry. We've got to get the tools from the garage, first.

Harry stopped his tugging, looking back at his dad, perplexed. "Tools?"

His dad smiled warmly at him. "Yeah, for cutting down the tree."

"But wouldn't it just be easier to use magic?"

James nodded. "Yes, it would be. But some things are just better to do without magic. Your mum taught me that…"

His mum came up and kissed his dad on the cheek for that remark, which had his dad beaming. Harry couldn't help but smile as he watched the exchange. "Alright, then. The garage it is. Lead the way, dad."

….

"What about this one?" James asked him as he pointed a mitten-clad hand at a large, pine tree that was clad with snow.

Harry stopped his his trek, where he had been pulling a large, empty sled behind him, and looked at the tree in question.

"Hmmm…" Harry hummed as he studied the tree. It was nice, but there was a patch near the top that wasn't as full-looking with pine needles as the rest of the tree. "Not quite what we need. But close!"

His dad nodded as they continued walking.

They were now alone together, as Sirius and Remus had gone off in a different direction to see if they could find any good prospects any faster than they could. In truth, Harry was actually nervous to now be alone with his dad, because it meant that he had to ask the question that had been plaguing him ever since everything had happened…

But Harry wasn't looking forward to asking the question. Partly because he wasn't looking forward to the answer that his dad could potentially give.

Regardless, it had to be asked. Harry took a deep, shuddering breath as he worked himself up to take the plunge.

"Dad…?"

"Yeah?" His dad responded without looking over at him, as his eyes scanned the tree-line.

Harry swallowed, finding that he no longer had the nerve to say anything after all. At his silence, his dad finally looked over at him, his eyes scanning Harry's form before a smirk found its way onto his lips. "What, are you getting cold, Harry? Did your mum's excessive bundling fail?"

Harry scowled at his father, sending him a sour look, which James could only laugh at. Before they had gone out, his mum had made him put on a hat, mittens, scarf, two sweaters, and a muggle winter coat on top of it all. It had James, Sirius, and Remus taking the mickey out of him their entire time outdoors, asking him constantly if he was cold.

"You know very well that I'm sweating like a Hippogriff underneath all of this!" Harry complained as he gestured wildly at the many layers of fabric he was currently wearing, which made him look like a bloated marshmallow.

His dad chuckled and stopped his walking and held out his hand in offering. "Here, hand me your coat and take off those sweaters underneath."

Harry nodded gratefully as he unzipped his jacket and handed it to his dad. His dad took it and Harry immediately whipped the two sweaters over his head where the welcome chill of the cold air met his overheated skin.

Harry sighed in relief and didn't immediately ask his dad for his jacket back.

His dad chuckled. "Better?"

Harry closed his eyes and basked in his lowering temperature. "Much."

"Good. Now you can tell me what it was that you really wanted to talk to me about."

Harry's eyes snapped open to meet the hazel gaze of his father's. Immediately, Harry opened his mouth to object, though no noise came out. He closed his mouth again as he let out a sigh. There really was no use in denying it.

"Promise you won't be mad?" Harry asked in a quiet voice as he looked down at his snow-clad boots.

James frowned. "Harry… After all that we've been through, I don't think that I could ever, truly, be mad at you. Sure, there may be times where I could get frustrated, but I do think that it's impossible for me to actually get angry with you."

Harry peeked a look up at his dad only to find true sincerity gazed back at him. "R-Really?"

James nodded before he smiled slightly. "Now, that's not an invitation for you to go out in get into loads of trouble. Because if you tell your mum that I encouraged that, I will deny it all and blame it all on you… That is, unless you ask me to  _join you_  in getting into trouble. Because in that case, us Marauders gotta stick together."

Emotion swelled in the pit of Harry's stomach at hearing the words that had just come from his father's mouth as he nodded in agreement. "That's good to know."

Harry suddenly felt loads better about asking what he needed to ask his dad, so he no longer hesitated. "And as for what I wanted to talk to you about, I wanted to ask you about the Dursleys."

James' eyebrows went high in surprise before they lowered in a glowering expression. "Oh."

His dad was angry. But Harry knew that it wasn't himself that he was angry at. He was angry at the mere reminder of the relatives that had abused his only son.

"Yeah. I just… you don't have to give me any details or anything, but I just need to know what it was that you did to them when you went to Privet Drive."

It was a question that had been nagging Harry ever since his parents had went off to confront them. And he found that he had to know what had become of his relatives. Not because he was at all concerned about his aunt and uncle. But because he didn't very much like the idea of his parents stooping down to their level. That they used magic in the same way that Death Eaters may use it.

Whatever answer his dad gave, Harry promised himself that his love for his family wouldn't change in the slightest. But he also knew that if the answer happened to be something that he didn't like, he wouldn't be able to stave off his disappointment.

James' expression softened as he noticed the worried expression his son had. "You really are a good person, Harry… but it's not at all what you think. Your mum, Sirius, Remus, and I didn't do anything to physically harm the Dursleys. We performed a few simple spells that will just so happen to leave a lasting impact on all of the Dursleys…"

Harry waited… he knew that he had said that his dad didn't have to give any details, but he found his curiosity overwhelming. "Like?"

His dad chuckled darkly for a moment. "It was your mum's idea. Brilliant as ever, I'd say. Because despite everything that Petunia has done to you, she is still your mum's sister… So, she did the only thing that she could that would satisfy her lust for revenge but also keep her morality in tact."

James paused and looked up at Harry with an expressionless gaze. "We first stripped the protection that Dumbledore had set around Privet Drive. Your mum was able to do that since it had been her sacrifice that had made the protection possible in the first place. I would gander a guess and say that the Dursleys are just about as far from Privet Drive as they could get after they realized how much protection your presence had actually offered them throughout the years. The next thing that we did was curse them. They will now have the most realistic, terrible nightmares that they've ever had…"

Harry, his attention rapt on his father, could only breathe his next question. "Nightmares of what?"

His dad's eyes turned sad, his shoulders sagging in what looked to be defeat. "Nightmares of all the terrible things that you have been through. They will feel everything that you have ever felt when they abused you. All that you felt when Voldemort attacked you. The feeling of Dementors… Everything. And they won't go away until they feel genuine remorse for everything that they have ever done. Which, if they don't sooner than later, the nightmares may just drive them mad. It's now up to them for what their fate on that will be."

Harry remained frozen for another moment longer before he visibly sagged in relief. Yes, his family had punished the Dursleys but the punishment was essentially a choice. If the Dursleys couldn't find it in their hearts to become better people, then they deserved the fate that they got.

Harry was only glad that his parents hadn't lost their souls in the process.

Grinning at his father, Harry reached out and grabbed for his coat again before putting it on. "Thanks for telling me. I was going a bit mad myself from not knowing."

His dad chuckled. "Feared the worst?"

Harry hesitated before he nodded, ashamed that he could ever think that his family would resort to the same magic that Death Eaters would use.

"After learning from your example from years of watching you from Limbo, Harry, we just know that we wanted to make you proud to call us your parents. Using dark magic on the Dursleys wouldn't have done anything to change what happened, nor would it make us feel any better. In fact, if we had used the Killing Curse on the Dursleys, I think that all of us would be positively miserable, right now."

Harry nodded in agreement as they continued on their trek through the snow. "Can't be miserable on Christmas, now can we?"

James chuckled. "No. We can't."

They both chuckled a bit at that before Harry stopped and held out his arm to stop his father from moving any further. "Wait!"

The tree was perfect. It was easily eight feet tall with pine needles so thick, Harry had a difficult time seeing the trunk of the tree within. "That's the one. That's our Christmas tree."

…

"Have another biscuit, Harry," His mum urged, hanging another ornament on the tree as she nodded her head at the full plate that had an assortment of Christmas biscuits.

Harry nodded with a grin, going for the plate. He didn't need to be told twice.

Remus chuckled from his place on the floor, where he was currently threading wire through the ornament's hanging holes. "At this rate, you're going to get him fat, Lily."

Lily sent Remus a very motherly sort of glare.

"He needs the extra weight, skin, and bones, he is." She said, before she looked over at Harry was an encouraging smile. "Go ahead, Harry. Take two at the very least."

Harry couldn't help but laugh as he saluted his mother's command. "Right away."

Sirius then snuck over to take a look at what was on the plate, himself. Harry held it up to him in offering as crumbs fell onto his sweater as he chewed.

His dad noticed Sirius' interest in the biscuits and let out a boisterous laugh. "Sirius, on the other hand, really needs to watch his figure…"

Sirius froze, the biscuit half-way to his open mouth before he scoffed at his best mate. "I'm at the ripe, young age of twenty-one, thank you very much. I'm in the best shape that I'll ever be in. Besides, if I happen to get fat, at least I'll die a very happy man."

They all laughed as Sirius dramatically shoved the entire biscuit into his mouth.

It was only a few minutes later when his mum placed the last ornament onto the tree. "There. Only one thing left to do, now…"

She turned to the last item in the box to pull out a star, which she held out to his dad in offering. "James, would you do the honours?"

James grinned from his spot on the floor, as he shot up to his feet. "I'd be happy to, Love."

His dad sauntered over and grabbed the star from her hands just as he leaned down to place a tender kiss onto her lips. Harry smiled slightly at that.

James pulled away from the kiss and approached the Christmas tree, and took out his wand. "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!"

James let go of the star in his hands and they all watched as it floated up into the air, James' wand directing it in the direction towards the top of the tree. It was placed gracefully at the very top before his dad shot another spell that made the star, and the rest of the tree, shimmer, and glow.

Harry gasped and his heart swelled at the sight. It really was the best Christmas tree that he could have asked for. Better than the ones that he imagined and dreamed about when he was young.

"What do you think, Harry?" Sirius asked him from his seat by the fireplace. He now had a glass of Firewhisky on the rocks nestled in his hand.

Harry beamed at his Godfather. "I think that it finally feels like Christmas."

…

It was later, in Harry's bedroom, when Harry finally found a moment alone to think over the events of the day. It was crazy to think that just that morning he had Ginny in his bed at Hogwarts, her shirt missing and her white bra on display to his eager gaze…

He couldn't wait to pick up where they had left off, which very well might be tomorrow night, the first night that the Weasley's would be joining them for the Christmas Hols.

His imagination went wild with the possibilities of what he and Ginny would get up to in this very room… Could it be possible that they would lose their virginities in this very bed?

At the thought of his room, Harry looked around and grinned. It was bloody brilliant. He had a four poster bed, various Quidditch posters that scattered the walls, as well as a closet full of clothes that actually fit him. It seems that his parents had been busy while he had been away at school.

Either way, it wasn't too overbearing with the posters on the wall for it to seem like too much a little kid's room. The colours on the wall were neutral enough. And Harry knew that he wouldn't be embarrassed having Ginny in here with him, getting up to all of the stuff they were bound to get up in.

Harry worried his bottom lip with his teeth as he felt his cock grow to half mast.

He couldn't  _wait_ until tomorrow night.

At that thought, he suddenly started as he thought on how Ginny didn't know about his desire for her to come to his bedroom or even which bedroom was his…

Immediately, Harry shot up out of his bed and made his way to the study desk that was in the corner of his bedroom. There was already a pile of cut parchment paper out as well as a quill with never-drying ink. His parents really had thought of everything.

Harry sat down at the desk, took the quill into his hand, and tapped the feather against his lip as he thought on what it was that he wanted to say. He had to make this sound right… he couldn't very well come across as a smarmy wanker when she read this letter.

Harry thought for another moment, before he let out a shuddering sigh and put the tip of his quill to the paper.

.

_Ginny,_

_We may not have much time to talk alone with everyone around and I definitely don't want anyone to overhear me when I say this:_

_I can't stop thinking about what happened in my dorm room before we left Hogwarts. It's been driving me mad, remembering how you looked. The way that we kissed…_

_I was bloody going to pummel Ron for interrupting us the way that he did. Trust me what I say, I would have rather missed the train and spent more time with you._

_That being said, if you feel the same, then come to my room tonight. My mum and dad have already shown me which rooms each of you is going to be staying in, and my room is going to be three rooms down the hall to the right from the one you'll be staying in. I'll put a wrapping bow on the floor outside my door, just so you know it's the right one._

_I'll be waiting,_

_Harry_

.

Harry read over the letter, anxiously looking over the words to find anything that made him sound like too much of a randy bugger. And reading it over, it made him even more nervous at the thought of Ginny reading these exact words. They had never come right out and said anything about how they affected one another sexually. Harry was taking a great leap of faith that Ginny would be just as excited as he was when it came to furthering that aspect of their relationship.

But, overall, Harry had been honest in the letter. He was telling her exactly how he felt. Letting her know how much she affected him.

The next move was hers after that.

Harry waited for the ink to dry on the paper before he folded it up until it was a tiny square. He would hand it to her when no one was looking when she arrived tomorrow.

….

"James!  _Honestly!_  Put on something more presentable than  _that!"_ His mum yelled at him as she bustled around the kitchen in a panic. His mum had been honest when she had told Mrs. Weasley that she wasn't all that experienced in the kitchen. Remus was trying his best to help her, but he was just as clueless as she was when it came to roasting the Christmas turkey.

His dad looked down at sweater he was currently wearing. It had a picture of what Harry recognized to be Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, though his dad was adamant in saying that it was actually a representation of Prongs and that he didn't even know who Rudolph was. "What do you mean, Lily? This sweater is perfect! It's  _literally_ screams  _me!_  Plus, he's wearing a Christmas hat! Fits the occasion perfectly."

Harry had to hide his snicker as he took another bite of his toast. He was eating breakfast, though from how late Harry slept in, it was more like a late lunch. His mum turned to look at his dad, and looked about to argue, when her tempus alarm went off and she let out a great gasp as she turned towards the oven.

"We've got the baste the turkey!"

James grinned triumphantly as he effectively won the argument by default, before he sat down at the table across from Harry. "So, Harry, excited to see Ginny?"

Harry nearly choked on the sudden cough as toasted crumbs got caught in the back of his throat.

Panic rampaged through his mind. Did his dad know? Did he guess the plans that Harry had made for tonight with Ginny?

But his dad wasn't looking at him with any amount of sly suspicion. Instead, he looked at him in concern as he pushed forward a cup of pumpkin juice in front of Harry. Harry took the cup gratefully, drinking away the crumbs that were still lodged in the back of his throat.

When Harry finally felt that he could breathe, he nodded his head shakily at his dad. "Yes. I'm always happy to see her."

His dad eyed him for a long moment and Harry tried not to squirm under the gaze.

" _Ah…"_  Sirius piped up from the end of the table, his head hidden behind the newspaper he was reading. Both Harry and James' heads whipped over to him. "Young love… So  _innocent_ and  _pure."_

Sirius folded his newspaper and sent a smirk over Harry's way. Harry immediately turned his attention back to his plate, his face flaming. Oh, yeah, his Godfather  _definitely_ had his suspicions…

Harry then shoved the rest of his toast into his mouth and stood abruptly from his seat. "Whell, I behher goh geh drehssed mhyshelhf," Harry said, his mouth full.

"Don't speak with your mouth full, dear," His mum admonished, distractedly, from her place by the stove as Harry tried not to look as though he were rushing out of there.

"Yeah,  _Harry,"_  Sirius commented, jovially. "It's not a very  _attractive_ quality. Imagine what Ginny would think."

Harry practically sprinted for the stairs to get away from him. It seemed as though he would have to avoid his Godfather for the day, lest he gives away Harry's plans to anyone with his teasing.

….

It was only an hour later when Harry was pacing by the fireplace, waiting for the Floo to roar to life. He was now dressed in his own Christmas sweater. His dad was adamant that Christmas should  _not_ be a classy affair and that Harry had to join his ranks in wearing a sweater. Because, in his father's words, " _She can't get mad at me if you wear one, too."_

Harry rolled his eyes as he looked down at the green sweater he was currently wearing. It had a snowflake and reindeer pattern that was repeated in rows all across it. Oh yeah… this was  _sure_ to get Ginny into his bed tonight…

But then again, Ginny  _has_ seen Harry in Dudley's overgrown hand-me-downs, so it could be a lot worse. At least the sweater fit properly.

Just then, the Floo roared to life, and his dad fell out of it with the twins. Harry hadn't even had time to react before he was plowed over by Fred and George on the floor. His dad took a moment to laugh soundly at the situation that he found himself in before he popped back through the Floo to get the next batch of Weasleys.

"Ughhhh…" Harry groaned, their combined weight still on top of him.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that-"

"-Harry. But, we must say-"

"-that it's what you deserve-"

"-and more that is to come." The twins grinned down at him evilly as they got up from on top of him. Harry sat up and rested on his elbows as the twins towered over him. "What are you two talking about?"

"The letter that you sent us at the beginning of term," Fred explained, sharing a look with George. "At first, it didn't make much sense, but-"

"-after the article of you snogging our baby sister came out, it began to make a lot more sense," George finished.

The blood drained from Harry's face. He had completely forgotten about the letter he had sent to Fred and George when he got plastered at the Gryffindor victory party…

.

" _Gred and Feorge,_

_Well, it's official! I'm going to be a Weasley. And not just an honourary one. Do you think that Ginny would adopt me into the family?_

_Did I ever thank you two for the Marauder's Map? Dad says that he wants to meet you two._

_Malfoy is a git who wants my woman. Dean Thomas, too._

_Shhh, don't tell!_

_Luna won't stop talking about the clouds… or snogging Neville. And Dobby makes the best muffins that can lead to cuddles in the girl's dormitories._

_I've decided that I want to get married. Yeah… don't kill me. It's my bloody choice! Not yours! Ron is alright with it, and you two bloody well better be, too! It's best that you just accept it and move on. Because if you don't, I will make the two of you regret it. Glowing eyes and all…_

_Don't think that I'm not bloody serious! Or you'll get what's coming to you!_

_Harry"_

_._

How in the name of Merlin had he forgotten?! They had practically declared a prank war on him!

"I can explain that!" Harry said in a rush as he gazed up at their tall, standing forms. "You see, I was drunk when I sent that, and-"

"And you didn't end up in the girl's dormitories for cuddles?" George asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Harry's mouth fell open but he found that no sound could come out.

But, luckily, he was saved from having to answer by the arrival of his dad with Ron and Ginny through the flames of the Floo.

Once Ginny was on steady feet, her eyes immediately scanned the area with awe in her gorgeous eyes. Harry lost his breath as he gazed at her. She wore a burgundy red, long-sleeved dress and had her long hair in a messy braid that was draped over her shoulder. Even covered in Floo soot, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on.

Her gaze finally landed on his position on the floor, with her twin brothers standing menacingly over him. Her eyes narrowed at her brothers as she strode forward to help Harry off of the floor. "What did you two do to him?!"

"Nothing," They both said together in suspicious innocence as they rocked back on their heels and stepped out of the way.

Harry took Ginny's hand gratefully as she helped him up off of the floor. Ginny surveyed his face for a moment before she turned her fierce gaze to her brothers. "You have to know already that I don't believe that in the slightest."

Harry squeezed their connected hands and Ginny's gaze snapped back to his. "It's nothing, Gin. They were just reminding me that they had declared war on me, is all."

Ginny's eyes widened in realization as she remembered.

Ron looked on from his place by the Floo, his expression extremely confused. "Declared war? What do you mean, mate? What'd you do?"

Harry's face reddened as everyone was now looking at him. Fred and George smirked at him, wondering if Harry would let Ron in on his little secret; knowing full-well that Ron would join the twins side if he found out that Harry had gone to visit Ginny in the Girl's Dormitory… even if they hadn't done anything sexual yet.

Not even Ginny knew what it was that he had written in the letter to the twins. Only that he had written something to them that had set them off enough to declare war.

So, Harry did the only thing that he could do. He merely swallowed and shook his head.

The Floo roared to life, once again, as James brought Mr. and Mrs. Weasley through the Floo. They were the last Weasley's to arrive, as Bill had to work, Charlie was in Romania, and Percy was still estranged with his family.

His mum, Sirius, and Remus came out from the kitchen at last, and his mum let out a cry of relief as soon as she saw Mrs. Weasley, "Thank Merlin! Molly, I think that I am close to burning the gravy!"

A very pleased look came over Mrs. Weasley's face as she was asked for help in the kitchen. She quickly took off her cloak, cast a cleaning charm on all of them to get rid of the soot, and rushed forward to the kitchen.

….

As soon as Mrs. Weasley and his mum disappeared to save the dinner, the younger Weasleys and Harry had come to the unspoken agreement not to mention the conversation that they had been having before the adults arrived in the room.

Ron had immediately challenged everyone to a game of exploding snap, which Sirius and his dad eagerly accepted.

They played for about half an hour, Harry feeling slightly on edge, but not nearly as much as before. Honestly, what could the twins do to him, really? This wasn't even their home. This was  _his_ territory. Whatever they did, Harry was sure he could just brush off with a good laugh.

At that thought, Harry finally let himself relax, thinking about the folded note for Ginny that was burning a hole in his pocket.

He hadn't had the chance to discreetly hand her the note, yet. He would have to make sure that he sat next to her at dinner and hand her the note underneath the table. He trusted that Ginny would know not to read it until she was alone.

It was a moment later, when his mum and Mrs. Weasley came out of the kitchen, looking mightily pleased with themselves. "Dinner's ready."

His dad, Sirius, and the twins all shot up from their seats, running for the dining room attached to the kitchen.

As Harry, Ginny, and Ron made their way forward as well, Ron stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Ginny looked back at them curiously but continued making her way to the dining room.

"What's up, mate?" Harry asked him.

Ron had a very serious look on his face. "What did you do to the twins? I'll help you fend them off if you want. I have plenty of practice."

Harry's eyes widened at the question. "Er, well, it had something to do with the article that was printed about Ginny and I. And thanks, but I think I can handle it."

Ron nodded in acceptance and patted Harry on the back. "Alright, mate. Now, let's go eat! I'm starving!"

Harry couldn't help but chuckle at his best mate's never-ending appetite, as they made their way to the dining room together.

But as soon as they passed by one of the doors together, they both tried to take a step forward and hit an invisible barrier, preventing them from stepping forward.

"Whatcha!" Ron cried out as he slammed face first into the invisible barrier. They both bounced back from the impact. Harry put his hand up to the barrier and tried to push through it.

It didn't budge.

"What'd you do?!" Ron asked him.

Harry looked over at Ron, just as perplexed as he was. "I didn't do anything!"

It was just like their second year when they could get through the barrier to the Platform 9 ¾…

Both Harry and Ron looked at each other for one lingering moment, before yelling out,

"HELP!"

The scraping of chairs on the floor and the stampede of feet could be heard from the other room. And soon, everyone was in the doorway, watching them.

"What is it?!" His mum cried out, panicked.

Before Harry or Ron could respond to explain the situation they found themselves in, the twins burst out into laughter. George was pointing his finger at the two of them, laughing, while Fred was bent over clutching his stomach, wheezing for breath.

"I-I can't believe that you got-got stuck with RON!" They both cried.

Everyone looked at them as though they had gone completely barmy.

The realization that they had pulled one of their pranks dawned on Mrs. Weasley's face first, as an angry red started to flush over her cheek. " _FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY! WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN DID YOU DO?!"_

Fred and George calmed down just enough to begin to explain the situation. "L-Look up!"

They all did, including Ron and Harry… only to find that they were firmly set underneath a mistletoe that hadn't been there before the Weasleys had arrived…

As soon as they saw it, everyone's eyes widened in realization, before his dad, Sirius, Remus, the twins, and even his mum, Ginny and Mr. Weasley burst into laughter.

Harry and Ron watched them laugh for a moment before Ron let out an impatient grunt of a noise. "Very funny, Fred and George. Now, let us go."

Fred shook his head slowly as an evil grin split his face. "No can do, little brother. We've spelled it so the only way you can leave from underneath the mistletoe is to kiss the person you are stuck under with."

Harry and Ron's mouth dropped open in horror as a new round of laughter started over.

"Brilliant!" Sirius cried out in appreciation of such a good prank. His dad patted the twins on the back in congratulations.

"D- _Dad!"_  Harry cried out in complaint. "You're  _supposed_ to be on  _my side!"_

His dad shrugged and give Harry an unapologetic smile. "What? It won't kill you to give Ron a little peck. I see no harm…"

Mrs. Weasley was the only one who hadn't laughed. In fact, she looked extremely embarrassed. "Lily, I'm so sorry about these two. I'll have a firm talk with them, later."

His mum waved her hand at the apology. "It's no trouble, Molly. James is right. It's just a harmless prank."

Mrs. Weasley didn't look like she agreed. "Well, the food is getting cold…"

The twins perked up at that and rushed back into the dining room to their nice, hot meal. Nearly everyone followed their lead, laughing at the expense of Harry and Ron.

That is until only Ginny remained. She quirked an eyebrow at Ron as she crossed her arms. "Trying to steal my boyfriend, Ron?"

"Ginny!" Ron cried as he reached for the first item he could get his hands on, which was a pillow from the chair next to them. He threw it at her, and Ginny squealed as she dodged out of the way, laughing all the way as she made her way back to the table… leaving Harry and Ron alone.

They stood there for fifteen minutes. Not talking. As they listened to the sounds of scraping silverware against plates and the boisterous chatter from the other room.

But the most torturous thing was the delicious smells that emulated from the other room. It made Harry's mouth water as he thought on all of the amazing food he was missing out on.

Ron let out a frustrated grunt, and Harry turned to look at him, questions in his eyes.

"Bloody hell. Let's just get this bloody over and done with while we don't have an audience!"

Harry nearly choked, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at his best mate. "B-But they'll  _know_ that we-that we…!"

"I don't bloody care at the moment! I'm bloody well  _starving,_  Harry!"

Harry's mouth opened and closed wordlessly as he gaped at his best mate. Before sense and reason came to him, and Harry bit his lip in consideration. "Just-Just promise that we'll never speak of this again!"

Ron scoffed, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. "You kidding? I'm taking this to the grave. And anyone who will bring it up, I'm going to deny everything to the point where they'll think they've gone bloody mad and dreamt the whole thing up."

Harry nodded firmly in agreement, revealing that he felt, and would do, the same. "So just one peck and it's done and over with…"

Ron nodded, in a way that said that he was trying to reassure himself of that. "Yeah… just one peck. It won't be so bad. We're just making it out to be bigger than it really is."

Harry nodded, still feeling as though they should bloody well put this off for as long as they could. It was as he was contemplating this when the unexpected happened…

Ron leaned in and planted one on him.

Hard.

It had to be the shortest, most brutal kiss Harry had to have ever received.

But after it was done, Ron stepped back, his face flaming as deep as Harry's own cheeks felt.

"Not a word." Ron reminded him, fiercely, before he turned and abruptly walked away and out of the room and into the dining room.

Harry stared after him in shock. Before it dawned on him that by Ron's exit, he could leave the vicinity of the mistletoe, as well.

He bolted out of there, in the opposite direction of Ron.

He ran all the way up the stairs to the bathroom, where he desperately searched for his toothbrush in the medicine cabinet. Once he found it, he cried out in relief and scrubbed his mouth nearly five times.

Once he was satisfied that he had washed all of the 'Ron' germs out of his mouth, Harry decided that it was time to face his embarrassment in exchange for food…

He made his way downstairs, made sure to stay as far away from the mistletoe as possible, and slowly walked into the dining hall, approaching with caution and a Weasley-red face.

As soon as Sirius noticed his presence, he let out a long whistle.

Harry fought off the urge to flip him the bird.

Instead, he ignored everyone's jibes and sat in the open seat next to Ginny, looking down at his empty plate in complete mortification.

It was then that he felt a warm hand thread through his own and the little hairs on his neck stand up straight as Ginny leaned in close to his side to whisper in his ear. "I've already forgotten that it ever happened."

Harry's gaze snapped over to look at her as she pulled away. She winked at him, and Harry found his stiff shoulders relaxing as he smiled gratefully at her.

Ginny smiled back as she reached for the platter of turkey and started to dish some onto his plate for him. "We cast a charm to make sure that it was still hot for you."

Harry nodded as he watched as she dished more of the food onto his plate. She did all of it one-handed, as her other was still threaded together with his underneath the table.

Which reminded him…

Harry discreetly dug his fingers from his other hand into his pocket, making sure that no one was paying attention to his subtle actions.

Once he got the folded up piece of parchment paper, Harry unthreaded his hand with Ginny and placed the note in her open palm.

Ginny's face immediately turned to face him. But Harry stubbornly refused to look at her in that moment. Wanting to come across as discreet.

Ginny looked at him for another moment longer, before she folded her hand around the note and pulled her upward-faced hand off from his thigh.

Harry was desperately trying not to hyperventilate. Trying to come across as normal.

There was no taking it back now. He had put the offer out there.

And it was now all up to her…

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	54. Chapter 54

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Chapter Fifty-Four

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Harry was pacing. It really couldn't be helped. He had tried to stop six times, already. But every time he forced himself to sit still on his bed, his mind would go wild with all sorts of worrisome theories.

What if she didn't come?

Would it be awkward between them if she didn't?

Or worse… what if she found his suggestion to be  _grossly_  offensive and decided to break up with him because of it?

Harry rolled his eyes at himself. Ginny  _surely_  wouldn't break up with him for that… Would she?

Running a hand through his obnoxiously crazy hair, Harry forced himself to think of other things… like how the rest of the evening went.

If his anxiety for tonight hadn't gotten too much in the way, Harry was sure that he would've been able to relax enough to have a good time.

It hadn't just been Ron and Harry that had gotten stuck underneath the mistletoe. His dad took to standing close to it and whenever his mum would walk by, he would grab her by surprise and pull her under it with him…

" _JAMES!" His mum exclaimed, her face as red as her hair. It had been the fifth time his dad had pulled his mum underneath the mistletoe._

_James pouted down at her. "Come on, Lily Love… It's Christmas tradition."_

_Lily rolled her eyes, though Harry could tell that she was secretly pleased by all the attention his dad was paying her. She was just trying to hide it from him just so that she didn't accidentally inflate his already large ego. "Yes. That's exactly what you said the first time. As well as the second and third. Just how many times do you expect me to snog you in front of our guests until you're satisfied?"_

_James wound his arms around her waist and tugged her close. We waggled his eyebrows down at her. "You're willing to go until I'm satisfied, hmmm?"_

_Lily lifted her hand to take a swat at him but James grabbed her hand before she could. He grinned cockily down at her before he grabbed both sides of her face and leaned down, planting one on her. His mum would pretend to put up a bit of a struggle, out of embarrassment… but then she would close her eyes moments later and melt into the kiss, tugging him closer all the while._

_Every time that it happened, Harry and Sirius would look at one another and pretend to gag, causing everyone in the room to laugh._

Harry smiled a bit at the memory of his parents and how they acted all evening. When Harry had been sucked into Snape's memory in the pensieve last year and watched how his dad bullied Snape and went on to ask his mum out for the thousandth time - while his mum yelled at him and called him an arrogant toerag - Harry never would have guessed how in love the two really were. It was almost as though they were different people now compared to the Lily and James in the memory.

His dad had grown up. Yes, he was still somewhat immature in his teasing, but it was all in good jest. He genuinely cares about people. Even goes out of his way to save his enemies, like Snape. And the way that his dad immediately welcomed Sirius, who had come from a family of known Death Eaters and were primarily Slytherins, with open arms. And had even gone beyond that and helped Sirius when he had run away from home at sixteen. He treated him as though they were brothers.

The same could be said with Remus. When his dad found out that Remus was a werewolf, he went out of his way to learn how to become an  _illegal_  animagus in order to make the monthly transformations easier. It was something that he and Sirius had picked up again, now, and Harry couldn't help but notice how much lighter Remus seemed because of it.

And then there was his mum. She had been in the right to call out his dad for his bullying ways, but it seemed before that once she had made her mind up about someone, it was impossible to have that initial opinion change. But then, she allowed herself to see how much his dad had changed. Matured. And she learned how to give people a second chance. To be more accepting of people's flaws.

Harry sighed contentedly. Sure, his family wasn't perfect. But they were perfect to him, and that was all that mattered. Because so far, despite the bouts of embarrassment that he had endured, this was still the best Christmas holiday that he has ever had. Even better than his first Christmas at Hogwarts.

The grandfather clock started to chime. Harry listened as twelve dings resounded through the air. It was now midnight…

"Happy Christmas," Harry whispered to no one in particular before his shoulders sagged in defeat.

Perhaps Ginny wasn't coming afterall…

He had really thought that since she had taken the initiative and taken off her shirt while snogging him at Hogwarts, that they were perhaps on the same page when it came to wanting to take their relationship to the next step. But it seemed that Harry was wrong…

Harry started to pace again as he tugged at his hair, agonized. Why in Merlin's name did he have to go and muck everything up? His and Ginny's relationship had been going  _great_! Perfect, even.

But  _no_. He had to let his  _cock_  go and take risks that shouldn't be-

The turning of the doorknob cut Harry's thoughts short.

Harry froze, mid-pace, his eyes zeroing in on the door that was slowly creaking open.

Ginny's head hesitantly peaked through the open gap, her eyes scoping out the room. When her eyes found purchase on Harry, her tense shoulders relaxed as she realized that she was in the right room.

She immediately slid into the room, and took the time to make sure that the door shut with only a quiet click...

Harry could only stare. Heat in his eyes as well as his in the pit of his stomach.

His thoughts were a jumble as he took in her presence.

 _She's_   _here!_   _She_   _came!_

Merlin, she looked so adorable, so sexy, in her cotton, green pajamas. He could see the pebbling of her nipples protrude through the fabric of her button-down shirt. And with a jolt he realised that she wasn't wearing a bra...

The blood in his brain drained to expand to his dick, where it grew and tented his own pajama bottoms as he realized that they were  _finally_  alone. That this was  _finally_  happening.

Ginny turned away from the door, facing him. A hard, blazing look in her returning gaze. She bit her bottom lip. Her fiery, red hair was down and wavy, and Harry had the immediate desire to tangle his fingers through it.

Harry wasn't sure how it happened, but one moment they were standing a few paces apart… and the next moment, he strode forward and was right in front of her, his lips smashed against hers.

Ginny let out a surprised sound that Harry suppressed with his own resounding groan. His hands came up, clutching at her face. Suddenly desperate. Frantically wanting all of their clothes  _off_. Immediately.

He rubbed his thumb along the apple of her cheek, coaxing her without words until she opened her mouth to him. And thank Merlin that she did, because in the next moment, when their tongues touched, Harry got a bursting feeling in his chest that told him that all was right in the world.

Ginny's fingers were now clutching at the back of his neck, her fingernails digging into his skin as she tried to pull him ever closer. Harry hissed in agonized pleasure at the sensation as Ginny took the initiative and pushed her tongue into his mouth. She tasted of fresh peppermint. While her floral scent accosted his senses, driving him mad as he was given the source of the primary scent that he smelled from the Amortentia Potion.

Harry groaned as he pushed his hips into her abdomen, for once freely letting her feel exactly what she does to him.

Ginny gasped as she felt the clothed erection against her, breaking away from their heated kiss. She was panting, her chest heaving and her mouth open. The temptation for him was too great, so he didn't resist as he came forward the small distance she had created and lightly bit her bottom lip between his teeth.

"H- _Harry!"_  Ginny gasped.

Harry groaned in response, letting her know without words that he was just as affected as she was. He was quick to release his hold that he had on her bottom lip and captured her mouth with his once again.

Ginny responded with vigor, her hands bunching up the fabric of his pajama shirt as they roamed the expanse of his back.

He kept one of his own hands up to frame her face, keeping it steady as he took the plunge into her mouth with his tongue again. Enjoying the delicious, wet heat that met him. While his other hand traveled down, tracing the side of her every curve and leaving behind a trail of goosebumps… until his hand finally made purchase on her thigh.

The clothed, slender leg that was underneath his palm shivered in response and Harry took that as a sign. Taking a firmer grasp, he lifted her leg and hiked it up over his hip, stepping that small distance closer that the space between her legs created. His hips were now nestled between her slender thighs.

But then, Ginny did something that surprised him. She hopped up, her other leg coming up around his hip to join her other, as Harry scrambled to catch her.

She was now in his arms. Her legs around his waist. Her heat over his erection…

Once he finally managed to steady her, he opened his eyes to look at her.

Their foreheads were pressed together and their eyes were connected. And the most sexiest, devious smirk graced her lips… The minx had caught him off guard on purpose.

Harry couldn't help but laugh breathily, gleefully.

Because this was all  _really_  happening!

Her smile softened at his excitable laughter, giggling a bit herself as she leaned forward to press their lips together softly.

Harry continued the soft kiss, tightening his hold on her body that was wrapped around his, and turned them away from the door. He carried her across the floor of his large room, his hands exploring every inch of her clothed body, until he reached his bed. Harry didn't dare stop the kiss as he laid her down onto his downy mattress. He didn't think that he  _could_  stop kissing her, not that he even wanted to. Because, in truth, he didn't think that he had ever desired her more than he did in this very moment.

He gently laid her down, her head resting on his pillow, as he crawled onto the bed and laid down on top of her.

With her legs still wrapped around his waist, Harry suddenly couldn't get enough. Her flowery scent was driving him wild. The taste of her lips was tantalizing. The feeling of her warm body flush against his was more than he ever dreamed… and yet, he still wanted more. He wanted everything - with her. For her. By her side.

This was the first of many first experiences that he forever wanted to explore with his Ginger Firecracker. He never wanted to stop. But, luckily, a life with Ginny seemed to offer a life of endless opportunities of firsts.

With these thoughts, their kiss turned from soft to frantic once again. Harry was full-on snogging her, accosting her lips so much to the point that he was sure that they were bound to be swollen at this point. His probably were as well.

Their tongues twisted and tangled together as Harry threaded his fingers in her eye-catching, red hair.

But in the next moment, Ginny broke away from the kiss. Both of their eyes opened and Harry gasped at the positively hungry gaze she gave. He had been right in his guess about her swollen lips. The creature in his chest was proud that he had been the cause of it.

The hands that had been bunching up the fabric of his pajama shirt suddenly started tugging upward. Her gaze, just as hungry as before, suddenly turned frantic.

With a jolt, Harry realized what it was that she wanted. He sat up off of her, sitting back on his knees before he lifted and whipped his shirt up over his head.

He stayed sitting up on his knees as he threw his shirt somewhere to the floor. But when his gaze turned back to Ginny, he froze.

She was now sitting up on her elbows, her eyes roaming his naked chest with a gaze so heated, it caused Harry to start hyperventilating.

He thanked his lucky stars that he had gained the small amount of muscle over the course of this last year… Yes, he was still lean but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been several years ago… where there had been a few points he could see his ribs protruding from his skin.

Slowly, she lifted her hand to his pectoral, resting it gently over his heart. Harry shuddered at the contact. Her hand was warm. And it was that which made him notice the contrast of it to how cold the room was.

Ginny's eyes widened as she felt his thudding heartbeat.

" _It's_   _going_   _so_   _fast_ …" She whispered.

Harry wasn't sure how to respond. He was afraid that if he spoke, he would somehow break the spell of the current atmosphere. Instead, he waited as he wondered what it was she was going to do next.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long to find out…

She moved her hand inward, her fingers going to the small amount of hair he had on his chest. Harry sucked in a breath as her fingernails lightly scratched at the skin there. Her touch was sending shivers down his abdomen and straight to his erect cock.

Her hand trailed downward, lingering in places that caused him to shiver, until she reached his abdomen, her hand  _so_   _close_  to the waistband to his pajama bottoms… Her finger brushed against the fabric as her curious eyes finally seemed brave enough to lower to his crotch…

She bit her bottom lip as she studied the tented fabric, subconsciously tickling his skin as she lightly brushed the tips of her fingers along his abdomen.

Desperation overtook him once again as he shivered violently before he lowered himself on top of her once again. Their mouths met, continuing as though they had never stopped.

Harry groaned loudly as Ginny's hand came up to trace and explore his chest once again. Her finger brushed against his nipple and Harry surged forward with a jump from the sensation.

The pressing and dire urge to return the favour flooded his senses.

He wanted her shirt off… but this time around,  _he_  wanted to be the one to take it off. Though he would always fantasize about and remember the memory of how Ginny had taken off her shirt in his dorm room.

His hand came up from where it was bunching her shirt at her side until it rested over her top button. With his thudding heart pounding in his eardrum, Harry loosened the button.

Ginny's hand came up to his hair, pulling on his strands slightly as she pulled him closer to her.

Harry took this as a good sign and made quick work on moving his hand down blindly to the second button. His fingers fumbled with it a bit as Ginny took that exact moment to wrap her legs around his waist, yet again, but he somehow managed to get it loose.

The rest were easy enough to get through compared to the second and it wasn't long before he had loosened the last button - though, to him, it had felt like an eternity.

Harry groaned against her mouth in triumph as he had freed the last button from its prison. His fingers immediately came up to trace the exposed skin around her navel…  _Merlin_ , he wanted to stick his tongue in it.

His fingers trailed upward, through the valley between her breasts. He prepared himself to part the fabric, working up the nerve to do so.

A rapt and sudden knock on his bedroom door resounded through the room before it opened.

"Harry, are you alright? I heard-"

His mum broke off as she took in the sight of her only son, shirtless, laying on top of his girlfriend who had her own shirt unbuttoned and her legs wound around his waist.

Their lips immediately disconnected and Harry jumped into action as he sat up and moved to cover Ginny with his body, as he saw his dad behind his mum, peeking in to see what was going on.

His parent's eyes widened as they realised what they had just interrupted.

It took a moment for the surprise to wear off his mum's face before a very stern look clouded her features.

"Get dressed and meet your father and I downstairs in the sitting room.  _Both_  of you."

Harry winced at the threatening undertone his mum had in her voice. She waited until both Harry and Ginny nodded before she gave a single nod in return and closed the door.

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	55. Chapter 55

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Chapter Fifty-Five

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"I just can't believe how  _irresponsible_ the two of you are!" His mum raged as she paced in front of them.

Harry and Ginny sat on the sofa - on far, opposite ends, trying to put as much distance between them as they could - as they faced his mum. They were both now fully dressed, though their hair was now wild from the fingers that had run through it.

Neither of them had yet to utter a single word of response. Their faces were as red as Ginny's hair as they tried to avoid everyone's gazes. Including eachother's.

Harry was currently burning a hole in his pajama trousers from how intensely he was staring at them. He was just thanking Merlin that his dad - who was currently sitting in a chair facing them - hadn't said anything to contribute to their scolding, becuase somehow, Harry was sure that whatever his dad came up with would make this far more embarrassing than the situation already was.

" _Merlin,_ not to mention that  _your parents_ are sleeping upstairs right now, Ginny!" His mum continued on and she stopped her pacing and stared at them with her arms thrown up in the air. "How am I supposed to look them in the eye after all of this, hmm?"

Harry's head finally snapped up and looked up at him mum in horror.

"You're not going to  _tell them,_  are you?" Harry spoke up, panicked. That would just be the sort of thing that would get him into bad terms with the rest of the Weasleys. He didn't think that he could  _bear_ Mrs Weasley looking at him with hatred for trying to  _have sex_  with her only daughter…

Not to mention Ron… He wouldn't be able to stand not having his best friend by his side. He was the glue that held Harry and Hermione together… which made all three of them a team. Without Ron, Harry wasn't entirely sure that he and Hermione would have gotten as close as they have.

His mum hesitated as she saw the panic on Harry's face. She worried her hands together as she shifted her feet restlessly. "I'm tempted to, but… I-I'm not sure what to do..."

It was then at that moment where Harry was reminded that his parents were entirely new to this aspect of parenting. They've never had to punish him before. Never really had to scold him for any wrongdoings, either...

A part of him felt sorry that he had even put them in this position, but the larger part of him refused to apologize for what he and Ginny had done together. What they did was a new form of magic that he just discovered. And he was determined that they try to go at it again, no matter what his parents said.

This was Harry and Ginny's decision. Not his  _parent's_  decision.

They were quiet as they found themselves at a stalemate. Lily was unsure of how to proceed while Harry was unwilling to say anything in fear of accidently swaying her decision to tell the Weasleys.

" _Please don't hate me, Mrs. Potter…"_ Ginny suddenly said in a quiet voice as she looked down at her hands. Harry looked over at her and he wanted more than anything to reach out and comfort her in that moment. But he had enough common sense to realize that would probably do more harm than good.

Lily's hard gaze softened as she looked at the girl that had captured his heart wholly. "Ginny, I could never  _hate_ you."

Lily waited until Ginny finally peaked her gaze up to give her a soft smile, trying to reassure her. Ginny relaxed her tense shoulders at the sight of it before she nodded slightly to herself.

It was then that Lily's hesitation cleared as she looked between Harry and Ginny before landing on gaze onto Ginny again. "But, perhaps, you should go up to your room, Ginny. James and I want a word with Harry alone."

Harry's eyes widened at the hard undertone that was creeping in his mum's voice and had to actively try to keep his panic at bay as Ginny stood from the sofa.

To her credit, Ginny didn't look as though she was dying to rush out of there. Instead, she slowly walked away, her face completely scarlet and her expression mortified.

Harry was desperate to know what she was thinking but resolved himself to knowing that he would have to wait to talk this through with her.

They waited until she was completely out of sight up the stairs until his mum immediately turned on him.

"How could you be so  _irresponsible_ , Harry?! I thought that you had more  _sense!"_

A deep defensiveness overtook all the embarrassment that he was feeling in that moment.

"I  _am_ responsible!" Harry argued back, passionately.

Lily quirked a single eyebrow in disbelief at him. It irritated him. "Oh,  _really?_  What sort of contraception were you planning on using? Because as you know, there is a  _war_ looming and your father and I are too young to be grandparents. Not to mention you and Ginny being too young to be  _parents_ , yourselves."

Harry froze as the blood drained from his face, leaving his skin pale white and sickly looking. He had nothing to say in response to that question… Because in truth, he hadn't even thought of it.

 _Merlin…_ What if he had gotten Ginny  _pregnant_ tonight?

His mum was right. He  _was_ irresponsible.

When he didn't say anything, his mum sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Because his silence was confirmation enough that he hadn't thought of contraception. "Have you even  _discussed_ sex with Ginny beforehand?"

Harry flushed at the mention of the word ' _sex'._  This was a conversation he  _never_ wanted to have with his mum…

Lily waited a moment for Harry to answer, but again, he had no response.

His mum groaned as she shook her head at him, disappointed. "I'll take your silence as a no. Harry, as much as you  _think_ that you're ready for sex, you have to remember that there are  _TWO_ people involved, not just yourself. Ginny might not be ready to have sex and you wouldn't know, because  _you've never even asked her!"_

Harry reflected on this with mounting dread. Merlin. Was he really this dense? The way that his mum put it, he soundly like a bloody  _idiot._

His mum was nowhere near done, however. She had a couple more jabs to take when it came to taking down Harry's previously imagined responsibility. "Harry, Ginny may be your girlfriend but she still is  _only fifteen._  She may still be too young to want to have sex with you. And I  _DON'T_ want you to inadvertently pressure her before she is ready...  _Understood?"_

Harry bit his lip and nodded. And he actually felt that he was on the verge of tears as he thought over all the mistakes he had made… as well as the mistakes he  _could_ have made.

His mum gave a firm nod before she pointed to the stairs. "Now get your  _arse_ into bed,  _young man!_  I expect you to  _apologize_ to Ginny tomorrow before you have a real talk about where you both stand in your relationship."

Harry nodded obediently again as he stood on shaky legs and headed for the stairs. He could feel both of his parent's gazes boring a hole in the back of his head as he retreated in his shame.

As he walked the halls, Harry took a detour to the bathroom, to wash cool water onto his flushed cheeks. As he turned the faucet off and looked at his wet face in the mirror, he wondered at all that his mum said… Wondered why he didn't think of these questions  _before._

 _Merlin,_  they should have  _classes_ for things such as sex… Because apparently, there was a lot a person had to think of before even having sex.

Harry dried his face off with a towel before leaving the bathroom. He was walking the hall, all of the portraits looking at him curiously, as he headed back to his bedroom.

When a door suddenly opened just as he was passing it and he was forcibily dragged inside the room…

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	56. Chapter 56

 

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_ Harry dried his face off with a towel before leaving the bathroom. He was walking the hall, all of the portraits looking at him curiously, as he headed back to his bedroom. _

_ When a door suddenly opened just as he was passing it and he was forcibly dragged inside the room… _

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Chapter Fifty-Six

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Harry stumbled a bit as he was dragged into the room, a curse just on the tip of his lips as he fought to keep his footing.

Once he managed to get his feet steady, he looked back to see the culprits…

Sirius had his back to him with his head poking out the door into the hall - looking to make sure that no one had seen Harry enter the room - before he closed it. While his dad stood by the door, looking at Harry with an unreadable expression. 

Harry couldn’t help but gulp slightly. He had already gotten his scolding from his mum, but it seemed that it was now his dad’s turn… and it looked like he decided to involve Sirius, as well. He wondered if Remus was too tired from the upcoming full moon to be involved, as well.

Once Sirius had closed the door to his room, he, too, turned to look at Harry with the same expressionless features.

His dad crossed his arms and nodded his head towards Sirius’ bed. “Why don’t you take a seat, Harry. This is going to take a while.”

Harry gave a shaky nod and scrambled to comply as he quickly made his way over to the bed, where he sat on the very edge. Just enough so he couldn’t slip off but far enough off of the bed so that if he had to make a run for it, he could. 

It was then that his dad and Sirius stepped forward and each took their own seats on either side of him. And Harry was startled to see them both smirking at him deviously. Harry fidgeted uncomfortably under their gazes. “You two aren’t planning on pranking me, are you?”

Both James and Sirius threw their heads back and laughed madly at that. Sirius threw a jovial arm around Harry’s shoulders while his dad shook his head no.

“You kidding?!” James replied excitedly, “We’ve been waiting for this moment since your mum and I found out that we were having a son!”

Sirius nodded eagerly as he tightened his hold around Harry’s shoulders before his other hand came up and ruffled his crazy hair even more. 

“What are you two talking about?” Harry asked, annoyed as he batted at Sirius’ hand. He really wasn’t in the mood at playing any guessing games. All he really wanted to do now was to go to bed so that he could sleep off at least a portion of his embarrassment. 

James’ jovial mood suddenly plummeted and his expression became entirely serious. Harry’s eyes widened. Their mood-changes were giving him whiplash…

"We are about to disclose to you some very  _ sacred  _ information that isn't to be taken lightly," Sirius stated, causing Harry’s attention to whip over to him. He was no longer smiling and a twinge of worry piqued at Harry’s mind. 

James nodded, completely serious, in agreement. "Yes, Harry. This is not something that is to be shared with just anyone..."

Harry was extremely concerned now. The way that they talked, this information could be the fate between life and death.

"Harry. James. Potter…” His dad said while emphasizing every syllable in his name. “You are about to embark... on the journey... of the  _ sex talk _ with two _ sex experts _ such as your Godfather and myself."

Harry's jaw dropped. 

He thought that they would start laughing, but the way that they looked at him showed that they took the matter  _ very  _ seriously. Immediately, Harry started to shake his head. "No...  _ no _ . No. No. No-" 

Sirius rolled his eyes. "You haven't even heard what we have to say yet."

Harry was still shaking his head in complete denial. He did not - repeat - DID  _ NOT  _ want to have this conversation. He has had enough embarrassment tonight to last him for a lifetime.

James rolled his eyes at his son’s attitude toward the subject choice before he interjected, "When given the chance, Harry, do you even know how to give pleasure to a girl?” 

Harry squeezed his eyes shut as he continued shaking his head in denial, trying to keep this conversation from settling in his mind. If he pretended that he wasn’t hearing it, then maybe they would just give up. James sighed as he clarified. “If Ginny let you touch her _ intimately, _ would you even know what to do? Where to touch to make her go  _ mad  _ with desire?" 

Harry froze and opened his eyes. His head stopped shaking as he bit his lip. In truth, he hadn't the faintest clue of what to do with Ginny when the time came for shagging. It wasn't as though Hogwarts had a sex education class…

He imagined if things  _ had  _ gone the way that he had originally wanted tonight, what would he have done to give Ginny pleasure?… and he realized with a jolt that he wouldn’t have  _ known  _ what to do  _ at all. _

And who else could he really talk to for getting advice? Sure, Ron has had sex with Hermione, but there was absolutely no way Harry could go to Ron asking for shagging tips that Harry could use with Ron’s own sister… Harry wrung his hands together before he begrudgingly sighed in defeat. “Fine.”

His dad beamed in triumph while Sirius let out a whoop of victory. 

James stood onto light feet as he took out his wand. He said a spell that Harry hadn’t ever heard before and a floating diagram suddenly appeared in front of him.

To Harry’s horror, it was a diagram of the  _ female body. _

His face reddened for the thousandth time that night as he looked away from the image, casting his eyes away from the faceless female form…

But Sirius was having none of it. He tucked his hand under Harry’s chin and turned his head back to the diagram. “Pay attention now. Class is in session.”

James nodded studiously at Sirius in thankful approval before he used his wand as a pointer for the image. 

“Now, of course, you already know about the boobs,” James’ wand hovered over the chest area of the woman. 

“What sort of straight bloke wouldn’t?” Sirius injected with a nod of his head. 

James straightened all prim and proper. “Right you are, Padfoot. Please take ten points.”   
His dad turned back to the image and tapped it with his wand, causing it to zoom in on the female’s genitals. 

Harry was sure that he was going to die right here and now. In fact, a large part of him wished for a hole to open up in the floorboards that he could fall through. But... he actually found that he couldn’t divert his attention away, either, even though he  _ desperately  _ wanted to. He had never seen a woman’s  _ privates  _ so close up before… The only instance where he had even seen a woman in her nude form before was when he had come across Dudley’s dirty magazine stash two years ago when Harry had been cleaning his room…

But to say that Harry’s interest was piqued would be a  _ vast  _ understatement… because  _ Merlin, _ did a woman’s genitals look complicated... But he also found himself to be intrigued. And aroused. And  _ entirely  _ confused.

With a bloke, pleasure seemed to be so simple. All he had to do was rub his cock to give himself pleasure. But with a girl… 

“The part, I assume, you need our expertise in is a girl’s cun- I mean vagina,” His dad quickly corrected himself. He pointed his wand at a little nub at the very top. “This, right here, is called the clitoris - clit, for short - and it is the secret to every wizard’s success in bed.”

“Makes her scream, it does,” Sirius added with a devious smirk towards Harry as he elbowed him suggestively. 

“Take another five points, Padfoot,” James stated with a wide grin before he turned back to the diagram. “Now, in order to stimulate the clit, you can use your fingers, mouth, tongue, dick, or you can even charm your wand to vibrate.”

“And this is where you are thinking to yourself that you will never,  _ ever,  _ borrow your father’s wand…” Sirius muttered over to Harry with a smirk. Disgust dawned on Harry’s face as he realised what he meant by the comment, and the unwanted images that came with it were something that had never wanted to imagine. 

Great. Now Sirius has gotten him picturing his mum and dad  _ in bed _ and - Harry was sure he was going to be  _ sick. _

His dad must have heard the comment, however, because he scowled at Harry’s Godfather and deducted thirty points from Sirius before continuing on as though there was no interruption. 

“When you use your fingers, you just want to rub the clit in a circular fashion. But you can also get quite fancy with it and try different maneuvers just so you leave her guessing what you’re going to do next. But just make sure not to rub too hard… the clit is one of the most sensitive areas for a woman.”

Somehow, Harry’s discomfort started to slowly vanish as he absorbed the information that was being given to him. And he actually found himself nodding along, not daring to interrupt lest they forget to tell him something that could be vital for giving Ginny orgasms.

A lurch came up from the pit of his stomach just from  _ the thought _ of Ginny  _ possibly  _ letting him give her as much pleasure as she was bound to give him. 

“Now using the mouth and tongue tend to go hand-in-hand,” Sirius continued on from where James left off.

James smirked, “Very  _ tongue  _ and  _ cheek  _ of you, Padfoot.”

Harry laughed as Sirius rolled his eyes at his dad. “Not one of your best puns, Prongs…”

James shrugged, not at all offended by the slight, “I’m a dad, Sirius. I’m  _ supposed  _ to have terrible puns. Got to keep Harry’s cheeks red from embarrassment somehow.”

Harry grabbed a pillow from the bed and chucked it at his dad’s head, but much to his disappointment, his dad caught it with a laugh before it could make contact. 

“So, as I was saying before I was so  _ rudely  _ interrupted,” Sirius said with a flourish as he gave a pointed look over at James, “You can use your mouth to suction around her clit by pulling it into your mouth, while your tongue circles around it while inside… Any questions, so far?”

Harry hesitated before he nodded. “Er… yeah. How is it that you know when a witch, uh,  _ you know… _ ”

“Orgasms?” His dad supplied helpfully, for once no teasing was detected in his tone of voice.

Harry nodded sheepishly. 

His dad smiled serenely as he looked upward, his eyes distant as though he were remembering a fond memory. “One indicator is the noises she makes. Trust me, when a witch orgasms, she lets you know by being vocal about it. But another clue is in the way that she moves. Her body will tense and most-likely her back will arch, depending on which sex position you are using. But the biggest sign is that her vagina will clench and contract in rippling waves. You’ll feel this if you have your fingers or cock inside of her.”

Sirius sighed in memory. “Feels bloody amazing the way a witch clamps down on you…”

Harry eyed his Godfather for a moment and couldn’t help but noticed how sad he looked. Before, with a jolt, he realised that it’s probably been quite a while since Sirius has been able to shag a witch. Harry wondered how long it’s actually been. Probably not since before Sirius has been arrested when Harry was only one.

Probably not since Marlene McKinnon died...

His dad must have realised the same thing because he was quick to jump onto the next topic. “Which brings us to fingering. Now, the key to fingering a witch is to find her g-spot.”

Harry’s brows furrowed at the new term as he turned his gaze away from Sirius to face his dad. “A what?”

James smirked. “Her g-spot. It’s this sensitive area on the top wall of the vagina. It’s what helps a witch feel good while you shag her.”

“You may have trouble finding it at first, though,” Sirius interjected as he allowed himself to rejoin the conversation. 

Alarmed at this idea, Harry couldn’t help but sit forward. “What do you mean I’ll have trouble finding it? Don’t I just, uh,  _ I don’t know, _ stick my fingers in and brush up against it?”

Both James and Sirius burst out into laughter, which caused Harry to flush. 

His dad shook his head as he calmed down. “Oh, Harry, you have so much to learn. Aren’t you glad that we decided to force you to have this conversation?”

Harry stayed silent as he wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Luckily, his dad wasn’t waiting for one. 

“And to answer your question, that’s not how you stimulate the g-spot while fingering her. You don’t just merely brush it to make her feel good. You’ve got to curl your fingers upward into it and jab into it like your cock would thrust into it while shagging her. Like this,”

His dad held up his right hand and showed his middle and ring fingers doing a ‘come-hither’ gesture.

Harry stared at the technique and forced it to become burned into his memory.  _ Merlin _ , he would have looked like an  _ idiot  _ if he and Ginny had gotten to this point tonight. Because from the sounds of it, Harry wouldn’t have given her any pleasure, at all.

“She will most likely like it if you suck on her clit as you finger her, too.” Sirius supplied. 

James smiled. “Take twenty points, Padfoot. Now that we’ve covered the foreplay, it’s time to cover actual shagging. And the first rule you have to swear to live by if you want success in bed, is that you have to give a witch an orgasm from her clit  _ before  _ you get to the shagging bit.”

Sirius nodded in agreement, “Foreplay is key.”

It seemed that both embarrassment and confusion were the primary emotions that Harry was most capable of tonight. “But why?”

“If you give her a clit orgasm first, it makes the g-spot more sensitive. If you don’t give her an orgasm first, there is a ninety-five percent chance that she won’t orgasm from penetration, alone.”

Merlin. He was right in his assumption that giving a witch an orgasm  _ was  _ complicated. 

Seeing the look of worry on Harry’s face, his dad quickly tried to appease his fears. “Don’t worry. It’s easy to give her a clit orgasm. It’s like I said before, it’s the most sensitive part of a woman’s body. You just have to be persistent and patient enough until she comes.”

They continued to talk about different techniques that Harry could use while shagging Ginny. They even supplied advice for what he should be doing with his hands and mouth. But Harry honestly thought that he would have no trouble when it came to keeping his hands on Ginny’s skin when it came down to it. He had trouble making himself behave now and they haven’t even done anything sexual yet. 

“Now,” His dad said, his tone shifting to something that was more serious and stern. “We need to talk about contraception.”

Harry gulped as guilt overcame him once again. “I’m sorry that I didn’t think of it before…”

His dad sighed heavily as he ran a hand through his messy hair. “I know, Harry. I even understand why you didn’t think of it. No one was there to talk to you about sex before, so how would you honestly know? But that still doesn’t change the fact that in order to be ready to have sex, you need to be safe and responsible. And you need to talk with Ginny about sex before you both decide to do it together. Your mum was right about that.”

Harry nodded seriously at what his dad was telling him. And he knew that he and Ginny had to have a serious talk the next time they managed to be alone again. Sure, it would probably be mortifying for them both but Harry knew that it was something that they had to suck up and just talk about. 

James sighed again but this time he smiled slightly at Harry. “Now, with that part out of the way, let’s talk about what sort of protection you can use.”

Harry nodded and gave a small smile back at his father. He liked the way that his dad was handling this. He made Harry feel like he wasn’t stupid for not knowing these things. In fact, it felt like 

“The first is a potion for her to drink right before shagging,” Sirius interjected. “But there is the potential side-effect of abdominal pain that can last up the three weeks at a time.”

Harry frowned, not much liking the idea of Ginny potentially being in pain for any extended amount of time. 

James looked at Harry in understanding. “I know… I don’t much like the idea, either. The pain is a pretty common side-effect. It was the first contraception made available to wizards and witches. The second potion that you could use would be something that you would drink right before sex. There is one potential side-effect, however…”

Harry quirked an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me that there is a chance that my dick could fall off.”

James and Sirius’ heads fell back as they roared with laughter. Harry couldn’t help but smirk slightly in satisfaction. 

Sirius wiped away a few tears from his eyes as they both managed to calm down. “Hardly. But there is a chance that your dick can turn blue…”

Harry’s eyes bugged out at this tidbit of information. “P-Permanently?”

James and Sirius looked at one another and chuckled.

“Nah,” His dad said with a wave of his hand. “It only lasts about an hour if you just so  _ happen  _ to have a reaction to it. It’s not a very common side-effect. But the potion is one hundred percent in preventing pregnancy, same as the other potion.”

Harry let out a sigh. That didn’t sound so terrible. And he liked the idea behind not having to worry about getting Ginny pregnant.

“There is one more contraceptive,” Sirius said, slowly, “The Contraceptive Charm.”

Harry cocked his head to the side and asked sarcastically, “And what’s the side-effect on this one?”

James shook his head. “No physical side-effects to the body with this one…”

Harry’s whole demeanour perked up. No chance of side-effects for the charm? If he learned the charm, he wouldn’t even have to order any potion that he would have to remember to have on hand. He would just use the charm as needed. Why were the other two contraceptives even an option anymore?

“No side-effects...” Sirius continued. “Unless you count it only being ninety-three percent effective a side-effect.” Sirius said with a pointed look towards James. 

The colour drained out of Harry’s face as he thought about it… Only ninety-three percent effective?  _ Merlin! _ That was a seven percent chance Ginny could get pregnant! He found himself not liking that seven percent… he’d rather have a blue penis than have to worry about a child in the middle of a looming war. It would be just another worry that he wouldn’t need on his plate.

Looking up, Harry knew that he made his decision. “I want the potion for me to take.”

His dad smiled at him as he nodded. “I’ll order some for you by owl to keep on standby if you ever find yourself needing it at Hogwarts. You may want to keep a few vials with you, just in case.”

Harry nodded gratefully at his father, and a tension in his shoulders fell away that he hadn’t even known that he had previously. 

His dad and Sirius nodded back once before Sirius stretched and yawned. “That was a great talk, and all, but I think that I’m ready to hit the hay.”

His dad looked like he agreed with Sirius’ sentiment and he reached an arm around Harry’s shoulders to lead him towards that door. “I agree. Thanks for letting us use your room for this talk, Padfoot.”

Sirius perked up right before he climbed into bed. “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t have missed this talk for the world! I would’ve been bummed if I missed Harry’s protests and flushed cheeks!”

Harry sent a glare at his Godfather over his shoulder which only caused Sirius to laugh. 

James chuckled as he opened that door and led Harry out into the hall. “Night, Padfoot.”

“Night,” They heard from the room before James closed the door. 

They walked down the hall together as James patted Harry on the back. 

They were quiet for only a beat of a moment, before Harry spoke up. “Dad?”

“Hmm?” 

Harry swallowed. “Th-Thanks for forcing me to have that talk with you and Padfoot. I know that I protested at first, but I’m glad that we had it.”

James grinned as he squeezed his shoulder. “You’re a good kid, Harry. But sometimes, it’s up to the parents to know what is best for their child. Always know that I do things with your best interest in mind.”

Harry nodded seriously as they stopped right outside his bedroom door. James turned to face him before Harry suddenly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his dad, surprising James. 

“I know that I don’t say it nearly enough,” Harry mumbled into his father’s shoulder, “But I love you, dad.”

Harry pulled away to see James swallow heavily at a lump in his throat. “I love you too, Harry. Always have and always will.”

They smiled at one another before James punched him weakly in the shoulder. “Night, kiddo.”

“Night.” Harry echoed as James finally turned and walked down the hall.

Harry watched his dad disappear into his own bedroom before he let out a shuddering sigh, releasing the emotion that he felt with it. 

Then he turned towards his bedroom door and opened it… where he immediately froze.

She was sitting on his bed, looking down nervously at her hands as they wrung themselves together around the fabric of her pyjamas. 

_ “Ginny?!”  _

.

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**A/N: Make sure to leave me that review! And thanks again for all of your support! I love you guys! :)**

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure to always leave a comment, because I write for reviews and it will help me to post faster! Plus, I want to nerd out over Harry Potter with all of you Potterheads out there! :)


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